4 ms·

Why doesnt McDonald's let you build a big mac at home - it's not like people don't have access to lettuce, tomatoes, hamburger buns, meat, cheese, mayonnaise, p

Why doesnt McDonald's let you build a big mac at home - it's not like people don't have access to lettuce, tomatoes, hamburger buns, meat, cheese, mayonnaise, pickles, etc. The only thing we really need is the sauce that makes it a big mac. hey before I answer you wanna take a stab at that question? EDIT: I don't know why I was downvoted, it's a fairly close analogy.

astrodust 10y ago
People have reverse-engineered everything about that, including the sauce. What's your point? People also go to fast food restaurants to get food quickly. Preparing it yourself saves you zero time, it destroys the value of the Big Mac. If you're going to make your own burger, you can sure as shit do better than a Big Mac.
- logicallee 10y ago
  your sister comment made an interesting point that McDonald's does sell the sauce in grocery stores. That is a close analogy to this (since if someone really wants a big mac, they can make a hamburger at home and, by including some of that sauce, gets something that meets some of that need.) I think that's a pretty bad business decision for McDonald's to have done.
  - astrodust 10y ago
    It's a non-competing market. Nobody is going to fire up a grill in the office, make a burger, and then slap on the sauce just to save a trip to a McDonald's. They are going to use it when the otherwise wouldn't buy a McDonald's burger, like when hosting a backyard BBQ.
    - logicallee 10y ago
      my analysis is different, but whatever. I think some people would make a hamburger at home rather than go to a mcdonald's when they yearn for this product. obviously mcdonald's canada agrees with you and not me.
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
      - astrodust 10y ago
        The Big Mac product is not actually burger, it's convenience and being packaged at a consistent, predictable level of quality. If you're hungry and have five minutes, they've got a burger for you. The Big Mac sauce is the McDonald's signature brand. It's not a competitor to their main product. It's not inherently convenient, it's just familiar, and could serve to reinforce the brand and promote sales of their core product.
KSS42 10y ago
You can do exactly that (in Canada only, for now). http://fortune.com/2017/03/28/mcdonalds-sauce-bottles-canada/ http://fortune.com/2017/03/28/mcdonalds-sauce-bottles-canada... McDonald's has a dozen different burgers and you can get them made however you want. You can even get a double Big Mac if you need one and you can supersize the fries and drink. You can even take the burger home and add more ketchup, mustard etc. So, your assertion that Apple be more like MacDonald's is spot on.
- logicallee 10y ago
  In my business analysis the link you included is a really bad move for McDonald's to perform: they should not have done that. Don't expect it to remain on grocery shelves.
hnbroseph 10y ago
mcdonalds cannot prevent you from making a bigmac at home if you know the recipe. apple can prevent you from making a mac at home, even if you know the recipe (via licensing).
mustacheemperor 10y ago
I think you're being downvoted because your "close analogy" compares the lowest common denominator of burgers, where the main value is speed, to a company that purports to offer the highest tier of professional developer computers, where the main value is quality of experience.
- logicallee 10y ago
  A lot of people go to McDonald's because they yearn for their signature hamburger, a Big Mac. In fact some people might leave a fully stocked kitchen to go eat one. that's all I meant. it considerably cheapens the experience if you can get the big mac in a bottle -- and mcdonad's is making a bad business decision by allowing that product on grocery shelves.

astrodust 10y ago

People have reverse-engineered everything about that, including the sauce. What's your point? People also go to fast food restaurants to get food quickly. Preparing it yourself saves you zero time, it destroys the value of the Big Mac. If you're going to make your own burger, you can sure as shit do better than a Big Mac.

logicallee 10y ago
your sister comment made an interesting point that McDonald's does sell the sauce in grocery stores. That is a close analogy to this (since if someone really wants a big mac, they can make a hamburger at home and, by including some of that sauce, gets something that meets some of that need.) I think that's a pretty bad business decision for McDonald's to have done.
- astrodust 10y ago
  It's a non-competing market. Nobody is going to fire up a grill in the office, make a burger, and then slap on the sauce just to save a trip to a McDonald's. They are going to use it when the otherwise wouldn't buy a McDonald's burger, like when hosting a backyard BBQ.
  - logicallee 10y ago
    my analysis is different, but whatever. I think some people would make a hamburger at home rather than go to a mcdonald's when they yearn for this product. obviously mcdonald's canada agrees with you and not me.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - astrodust 10y ago
      The Big Mac product is not actually burger, it's convenience and being packaged at a consistent, predictable level of quality. If you're hungry and have five minutes, they've got a burger for you. The Big Mac sauce is the McDonald's signature brand. It's not a competitor to their main product. It's not inherently convenient, it's just familiar, and could serve to reinforce the brand and promote sales of their core product.

KSS42 10y ago

You can do exactly that (in Canada only, for now). http://fortune.com/2017/03/28/mcdonalds-sauce-bottles-canada/ http://fortune.com/2017/03/28/mcdonalds-sauce-bottles-canada... McDonald's has a dozen different burgers and you can get them made however you want. You can even get a double Big Mac if you need one and you can supersize the fries and drink. You can even take the burger home and add more ketchup, mustard etc. So, your assertion that Apple be more like MacDonald's is spot on.

logicallee 10y ago
In my business analysis the link you included is a really bad move for McDonald's to perform: they should not have done that. Don't expect it to remain on grocery shelves.

hnbroseph 10y ago

mcdonalds cannot prevent you from making a bigmac at home if you know the recipe. apple can prevent you from making a mac at home, even if you know the recipe (via licensing).

mustacheemperor 10y ago

I think you're being downvoted because your "close analogy" compares the lowest common denominator of burgers, where the main value is speed, to a company that purports to offer the highest tier of professional developer computers, where the main value is quality of experience.

logicallee 10y ago
A lot of people go to McDonald's because they yearn for their signature hamburger, a Big Mac. In fact some people might leave a fully stocked kitchen to go eat one. that's all I meant. it considerably cheapens the experience if you can get the big mac in a bottle -- and mcdonad's is making a bad business decision by allowing that product on grocery shelves.