ANGUS THIRD POUNDER: Custom Creation ... FRANGUS

It had to happen - and it has. Someone bought TWO Angus Third Pounders and assembled a custom creation. Something The McChronicles calls the Frangus (Frankenstein + Angus).

Inspired by last week's Angus Third Pounder Test Experience, a friend of The McChronicles came back at it this week, went to McDonald's, ordered up TWO sandwiches, then built his creation.

Frangus creator, Jim, said it was his version of the perfect Angus burger. After assembling it, he ate it all, and was able to return to the office, and reported that he put in a productive afternoon.

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McDonald's ANGUS THIRD POUNDER Burger Experience

The McChronicles was delighted with the prototype McDonald's Angus Third Pounder during our visit to the corporation's ultra-top secret "Innovation Center" in October of 2008. After two years of development, the product has been released (July 2nd) in the USA.

McDonald's advertising agency, GolinHarris, provided The McChronicles with several "Be Our Guest Cards" - each good for one free Angus Third Pounder. So, we invited a bevy of fast foodies to experience, "McDonald's first new burger launch since the Big 'N Tasty (debuted in 2001)", according to GolinHarris.

THE TEST

16 people assembled at the New Hartford, NY McDonald's. This is The McChronicles' "home store", so we felt very comfortable evaluating this new sandwich here. Then, the burgers were ordered. With three choices (Deluxe, Bacon & Cheese, and Mushroom & Swiss) there was a lot of discussion and decision making. The Deluxe seemed to be the top selection, with Bacon & Cheese a close second - but many people said they hoped to try the other versions. In other words, all versions sounded appealing to our team.

Peoples' first reaction was to the packaging. There were several comments regarding the professionalism of the packaging. This included observations on the neatness - and how well organized the ingredients were. It seemed that everyone had a story to share regarding burger elements being "tossed together" haphazardly, making for a poor presentation. The Angus Third Pounder simply looked perfect - in all 16 cases.

The McChronicles was most impressed with the inner liner - a sleeve of paper that helps hold the burger together and collects the juices or drippings. This is a topic The McChronicles has discussed in the past. Neatness and burger management are critical, especially when dining in the car (which we weren't).

LET THE EATING BEGIN

One by one, people started digging in. Interestingly, the festive atmosphere turned distinctly quiet. Something was happening. Then, one by one, people began commenting. And here is what we heard (direct quotes):

• A mouthful of flavor.



• Makes me want another.



• Presentation is phenomenal.



• By far, my favorite burger of ALL our local restaurants, including the sit-downs.



• The Deluxe is the tastiest burger that I have had. Vegetables are top quality and fresh. Crunchy lettuce, juicy tomato, and crisp onions.



• The burger actually left juice in the container! I've never had such a juicy burger at McDonald’s.



• I immediately noticed the size of the box. It is huge! From step 1, I knew this was going to be "bigger than lunch".



• Wow this is a big box!



• This is not like a McDonald's burger. If someone gave me one of these on the street, I wouldn't really know where it is from.



• Everything is “right sized”; the meat, bun, and toppings were in EVERY bite! The bun was top notch, fresh and soft, and BIG.



• Taste overall is an "A". I had a lot of bacon on my burger (which is a good thing), the right amount of cheese, and the pickles and onions were good too. The only thing I would change for the next time was to leave off the mustard.



• Burger (meat) tastes like a handmade burger I’d get at a restaurant. And the paper wrapper in the box was a nice touch.



• The meat is very well cooked and not dry.



• Higher quality beef patty than expected from a fast-food restaurant.



• The Angus Third Pounder with bacon and cheese is delicious. It competes with the Big Mac for my taste buds’ attention.



• The sandwich is more filling than most other fast food sandwiches and doesn’t feel as unhealthy because the meat isn’t so greasy.



• The Swiss cheese is very “creamy” giving the burger a rich flavor without tasting “fatty”.



• Veggies taste fresh.



• Lettuce, tomatoes, and bun seem fresher then most other McDonald's burgers.



• For its size, the price is right.



• The three options for the Angus Third Pounder are each unique enough to provide an attractive option to suit everyone’s preferences!



• Mushroom & Swiss is good and BIG!



• I was pleasantly surprised that the mushrooms and cheese did not squeeze out, but stayed with the burger, right to the last bite.



• Practically perfect in every way – I just wish the calorie count was a little less.



• Very tasty - I ate it slowly to enjoy every bite.



• Comparable to my favorite burger.



• It was not what I expected from a “fast food” burger. It was more like what I’d expect from a sit-down restaurant.



• It was just like what is shown in the advertisements – not a disappointment.



• The burger was cooked perfectly, bacon was just right, the bun was full, and both the Deluxe and Bacon & Cheese had distinctly different tastes.



• I hope the Angus Burger retains this level of quality over time.
  
  

The McChronicles noted unanimous overwhelming satisfaction for the Angus Third Pounder. After the meal, most people were discussing which version they planned to try next. A couple people mentioned that they were considering trying a different version right then (but cooler heads prevailed). The McChronicles DID return the next day for another experience (the Deluxe was so good the first time that the same order was repeated).

In conclusion, there was unanimous delight in our sample group (admittedly, they are all fast-foodies and known to be McDonald's customers). The Angus Third Pounder received kudos for EVERYTHING, ranging from immaculate packaging, to burger construction/presentation, to options, to price, to ingredient freshness, and, most importantly, taste.

Learn more about McDonald's Angus Third Pounder here.

Let us know YOUR opinion.

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Facebook Ad

The McChronicles was just bouncing around Facebook and encountered this McDonald's ad. We don't recall seeing one Facebook before, do you?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: screen grab from Facebook.

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"Eat Less Red Meat"

According to a recent report on the findings of a research team led by Rashmi Sinha, Ph.D., from the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland, (as reported by CNN - all quotes are from the CNN article):

"People who eat red meat every day have a higher risk of dying over a
10-year period -- mostly because of cardiovascular disease or cancer --than
their peers who eat less red or processed meat".

Of course, upon hearing this, any burger lover would be wise to take notice, to consider the facts of the report. Further details clear some things up:

Over a 10-year period, people who ate the most red meat every day (about
62.5 grams per 1,000 calories per day, equivalent to a quarter-pound burger or
small steak per day) had about a 30 percent greater risk of dying compared with
those who consumed the least amount of red meat (a median of 9.8 grams per 1,000 calories per day). The excess mortality was mostly the result of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

So, if we do NOT eat the equivalent of a quarter pounder EVERY DAY, and if we consume less red meat per day, or if we consume red meat only a few times per week, we're OK - is the way The McChronicles reads it (please comment if you feel this conclusion is incorrect).

The report adds:

In contrast, people who ate the most white meat seemed to have a
slightly lower mortality risk during the study than those who consumed the
least amount of white meat. White meat included chicken, turkey, and fish,
as well as some poultry products and canned tuna.

So, if we eat chicken and fish (mostly), we'll be OK - is the way The McChronicles reads this (again, please comment if ...).

In conclusion, The McChronicles LOVES hamburgers and McDoubles, but is certainly content with chicken and filet-o-fish sandwiches. In the future, we plan to mix it up to keep things in the recommended balance.

Everything in moderation!

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Image: The McChronicles.

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McDonald's French Fries

The McChronicles dropped by a McDonald's for a quick and simple lunch, including a small french fries. In short, it was everything it was supposed to be:

• fresh
• fast
• warm
• flavorful
• perfectly salted
• cooked just long enough
• served with a smile

Add to that the fact that the rest of the meal arrived under the same conditions, and that the dining room was neat and clean, and we were delighted.

The perfect McDonald's experience!

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDOnald's.
Image: The McChronicles.

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Snack Wrap MAC

According to QSR Magazine:

Canadians can enjoy ... for a limited time only ... the launch of the Mac Snack Wrap. The latest menu item from McDonald's combines all of the delicious toppings of a Big Mac sandwich in a handy, snack-sized tortilla.

The Mac Snack Wrap will be available at participating McDonald's restaurants in Canada, from March 17 to May 18. This new menu item combines McDonald's delicious 100 percent pure beef, Big Mac special sauce, lettuce, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, pickles, and onions on a warm flour tortilla for $1.89 plus applicable taxes.

Interesting.

This sandwich was apparently tested in Wisconsin last year.

Does this sound tasty to you?

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Image: The FastFood Maven

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McCafe: Tap Into The Coffee House Trend?

It seems, to The McChronicles, that coffee houses, with their third-placers, laptoppers, and modern-day beatniks and troubadors, are all the rage - at least in North America. We are constantly seeing, hearing about, and experiencing, acoustic performers, laptop users, spoken word artists, latte sippers, and the like in these unique and very interesting shops.


To us it is not a stretch to see the McDonald's McCafe concept tap into this vibe. Here is our suggestion:

• Create a temporary "stage" or performing area in an appropriate corner of a McDonald's reataurant.


• Declare some night to be "McCafe Thursday Night" (whatever night works best locally) and promote it as such.


• Feature a local acoustic artist to perform appropriate material for a one-, two-, or three-hour period (whatever suits the local flavor)

In The McChronicles' "home McDonald's", this would require either living with the permanent tables that are at one end of the dining room, or replacing them with moveable tables and chairs. It would only affect two small tables and the corner is perfect as it:

• has power (for a small PA system)
• is "secure", no one can get behind the performer
• is near the rest rooms
• is away from the order counter and front door - it will not interfere with people coming in or going out, order taking, etc.

To The McChronicles this seems like a low-risk, fun, low-cost way to:

• feature the McCafe program and get more people to experience it
• attract customers that wouldn't otherwise be there
• appeal to a unique demographic
• become a stronger part of the community
  

This isn't some revolutionary idea, mind you. In a previous McChronicles post, we shared the story of the band that, "... has been packing the house each week for nearly two years. The music starts at 7, but people start claiming their seats around 5. Anyone arriving after 6:30 will probably have to stand." Yes, it happens in a McDonald's.

There is NO WAY that we're suggesting that McDonald's is the brand to compete with local coffee houses. That's not the case, and that's not going to happen. The McChronicles is only saying that this concept IS appealing to a certain segment of people who ARE already McDonald's customers and who WILL go to McDonald's for something a little funky and offbeat.

Not a novel idea, but a cool idea for the times.

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.

Image: Dave Snediker performs at THE TRAMONTANE CAFE, Utica, NY.

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