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Here's an interesting thought experiment: if we removed the profit motive, would McDonald's exist? Because virtually everyone involved in a McDonald's doesn't p

Here's an interesting thought experiment: if we removed the profit motive, would McDonald's exist? Because virtually everyone involved in a McDonald's doesn't particularly like it, in my experience. I've never once (well, past the age of 10 anyway) gone to a McDonald's excited to be there. We end up there when some combination of: 1) Bad life experiences 2) Other restaurants being busy 3) My wife and I are too mentally wrecked to cook food Has occurred. It's not a good thing. We're there because it's (relatively) cheap, it probably won't make us sick, and it's reasonably fast. It's also worth noting that a bunch of the above happens specifically because both ourselves and every other business we engage with, including our employers, is also subject to the profit motive, and that's probably contributing to our being in a McDonald's in the first place. Anyway... The McDonald's franchisee wants to own a business, for their own economic benefit. Would they have started a McDonald's if not for the profit motive? Or would they have started a different business, one they'd be more proud of or innately interested in? The McDonald's worker certainly doesn't want to be there. The pop culture version is this is a pimply kid wanting money for high school parties and the like, but they're also increasingly comprised of working low-income adults. They don't wanna be there, they have to be, or their landlord's profit motive will cost them their home. And they're certainly not happy to be doing what they're doing. I've never seen a McDonald's worker in my life who's proud of the product they serve. And they shouldn't be, it's minimum-viable-food. I say all of this to say: the person who owns the McDonald's isn't happy about it, apart from the money they make from it. If they do. The person making and selling McDonald's food isn't happy. The person buying McDonald's food isn't happy (unless they're a small kid). So like... what is this for? How many of these restaurants operate? A quick google says 41,800. 41,800 restaurants, owned by people who don't necessarily want to own a restaurant, staffed by people who don't want to staff one, selling food people don't like, to people who probably don't want it, apart from it being a good alternative to not eating. How much human effort goes into the concept of McDonald's on the daily? To do something nobody wants to do? To make and distribute food that nobody seems to actually like?

macinjosh 2y ago
I enjoy McDonald’s food. Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. Sure everyone wishes they were wealthy enough to do whatever they want but that isn’t reality. Flipping burgers is better than working at the slaughterhouse. Owning a McDonald’s is better than 9-5 desk job. So in that sense yes these people very much want these roles.
- thunky 2y ago
  > Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. GP made fair points and I don't see how you concluded that they are out of touch or elitist. Maybe check yourself.
- ToucanLoucan 2y ago
  > I enjoy McDonald’s food. Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. You should leave yours to be honest. I'm not talking expensive restaurants here. There's a bunch of places I can think of off the top of my head in my relatively small and semi-rural tiny ass city that would cost ballpark the same as a coupon-less McDonalds that utterly wreck McDonalds. There's a hole-in-the-wall burger joint about 10 minutes from my house by bike, that serves the best smash burgers I've ever had, and if you're feeling spendy they have an angus steak burger for like $12, the most expensive thing on the menu, and it tastes like ground angel wings. So good. If you're not feeling a burger, we have 2 different local Mexican places. You'll definitely pay more than McDs but you can also easily leave with enough leftovers for 2 additional meals if you portion it out correctly. That's the hardest part though because I've ordered probably 2/3 of what's on their menus at this point and it's all incredible. Or, if you're really hard up for cash, to be honest our go-to is increasingly Taco Bell, the only fast food titan still standing that respects your wallet in my experience, that hasn't jumped on trying to be Chipotle with shittier ingredients. And yeah the food isn't great, sure, but they rotate menu items in and out so there's usually something new, and the prices are shockingly reasonable. Like I'm not even saying McDonalds is bad. It's... aggressively fine. I don't think it's good enough for the prices they are asking now, I think it was in about 2007? But nowadays if you and your spouse both get a combo you're looking at easily breaking $25, and I'm sorry, it is not that good at all IMO. Especially since it's not low odds at all your sandwich is gonna look like someone assembled it from across the room for a TikTok video.

macinjosh 2y ago

I enjoy McDonald’s food. Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. Sure everyone wishes they were wealthy enough to do whatever they want but that isn’t reality. Flipping burgers is better than working at the slaughterhouse. Owning a McDonald’s is better than 9-5 desk job. So in that sense yes these people very much want these roles.

thunky 2y ago
> Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. GP made fair points and I don't see how you concluded that they are out of touch or elitist. Maybe check yourself.
ToucanLoucan 2y ago
> I enjoy McDonald’s food. Sounds like you really need to get out of your elite bubble more. You should leave yours to be honest. I'm not talking expensive restaurants here. There's a bunch of places I can think of off the top of my head in my relatively small and semi-rural tiny ass city that would cost ballpark the same as a coupon-less McDonalds that utterly wreck McDonalds. There's a hole-in-the-wall burger joint about 10 minutes from my house by bike, that serves the best smash burgers I've ever had, and if you're feeling spendy they have an angus steak burger for like $12, the most expensive thing on the menu, and it tastes like ground angel wings. So good. If you're not feeling a burger, we have 2 different local Mexican places. You'll definitely pay more than McDs but you can also easily leave with enough leftovers for 2 additional meals if you portion it out correctly. That's the hardest part though because I've ordered probably 2/3 of what's on their menus at this point and it's all incredible. Or, if you're really hard up for cash, to be honest our go-to is increasingly Taco Bell, the only fast food titan still standing that respects your wallet in my experience, that hasn't jumped on trying to be Chipotle with shittier ingredients. And yeah the food isn't great, sure, but they rotate menu items in and out so there's usually something new, and the prices are shockingly reasonable. Like I'm not even saying McDonalds is bad. It's... aggressively fine. I don't think it's good enough for the prices they are asking now, I think it was in about 2007? But nowadays if you and your spouse both get a combo you're looking at easily breaking $25, and I'm sorry, it is not that good at all IMO. Especially since it's not low odds at all your sandwich is gonna look like someone assembled it from across the room for a TikTok video.