Dont use McDonalds support local small businesses

[BigBreakfast]

Are you seeing this a lot too? It makes no sense to me. IME small businesses can be terrible employers with questionable hygiene practices and corners cut to save the owners money.

McDonalds on the other hand is a very fair employer, pays well above minimum wage for the kinds of jobs that would attract exactly minimum wage elsewhere and is absolutely hot on hygiene.

These posters talk about supporting small businesses because that "pays for a little girl's dance lessons" etc, do employees of bigger firms not buy dance lessons?

Obviously people should spend their money as they see fit but the big companies are important to the local economy too and (usually) became big companies by being very good at what they do.

I haven't seen it but it's ridiculous. I hate it when they use one name in particular rather than say shop locally they attack a company.

McDonalds are a fantastic company to work for. I k ow 3 people I went to school with who started part time many years ago and they are now area managers. The progression opportunities are fantastic

I agree. My boychild works at McDonald’s and they have treated him pretty well in general and very well over lockdown. It’s a big employer for our local teenagers.

Yes, DS works there. They are just decent with him, whereas his friends who work at the local chippy or tea shop are treated abysmally and tell shocking stories about (lack of) hygiene.

I don't get this either. Why can't we do both? I use local businesses but I like a McDonalds and a Costa coffee sometimes too.

I'll be avoiding Wetherspoons though.

But you can't get a big mac from your local cafe. And sometimes only a big mac will do!

I couldn't even understand it properly when I first read it, due to the lack of punctuation.

@ChewChewIsMySpiritAnimal I've had one 2 days running 🙈🙈🙈

A bit silly really, when you want something branded like a McDonalds that's what you want, it's more a craving and you know exactly what you will be getting. I mostly use independent shops but tbh when I'm pregnant I really crave McDonald's which I normally only eat once every couple of years. An independent burger restaurant isn't want I want when I want a McDonald's

Aren't the vast majority of McDonald's Restaurants actually franchises sonthey are, theoretically, ownd by someone local to them?

Growing up there was only one McDonald's near us and the franchisee lived in the same town. Lovely guy actually, spent his weekends as Ronald at birthday parties in his restaurant. Hey don't seem to so that these days.

At least with the chains, you know what you're getting - they have the standardisation/consistency/speed.

Small businesses are VERY variable. If you find a good one, then it makes sense to support them time and time again. But, say, if you're in a strange place, it's a bit of a lottery to go into a random cafe - you may be lucky and hit upon a gem or you may find it's rubbish.

In my village we have a pie/sandwich/bakery shop. Everything it does is better than the chains whether it's a burger, breakfast bun, coffee, etc., and they're very popular - people drive from miles around for it. So, when I'm home, I'd never go to our local MaccyD's or Costa. But when I'm away, I don't have that local knowledge, so it's the chains.

I get what they mean, and in some instances it has been the small businesses that have really stepped up this last few months. However the people working for these big companies are local, they are hiring locally so that is a benefit that shouldn't be overlooked.

I’ve been seeing posts like this and it drives me round the bend!!

Firstly, no local business is going to be able to give me a big Mac

But more importantly, McDonald’s provides a lot of jobs for people and is a good employer.

I think people who make comments like this are trying to sound virtuous and show off that they would never eat a McDonald’s

I hate this stance, support local businesses which is itself not a bad thing, but the local businesses open rubbish hours charge more and a lot of the time the product isn't even that good. It's not my place to provide somebody with an income, if they offer a comparable product or service I would be happy to consider using them but often they do not.The vertue signalling of supporting a local business does my head in.

It's not an either or thing though. You can support local businesses AND have a maccas every now and then 🤷‍♀️

I'm all for supporting local, of course I am.

However when our local mc d (on s retail park so bonus for not clogging up roads) opened I was straight there for a drive thru after a tough day with my toddler.

It. Was. Glorious. Maybe the best (certainly most appreciated) thing I've ever eaten!

Aren't the vast majority of McDonald's Restaurants actually franchises sonthey are, theoretically, ownd by someone local to them?

Sshh - don't upset the virtue signallers by explaining the facts! We have 3 MaccyD's close to use and they're all franchised and owned/operated by a local husband & wife!

Same with Amazon - huge amounts of what is sold via Amazon are actually sales by small firms who are using the "fulfilled by Amazon" system where Amazon hold their stock and deal with shipping/returns etc. The buyer won't have a clue they've just bought something from a small firm - the bill will show Amazon as the seller, but behind the scenes, Amazon only take a commission, handling charge etc.

None of my local businesses (some of which are excellent and I will be visiting) sell anything even remotely resembling a McFlurry. I could never go near a mcdonalds again except for McFlurrys. Love them.

The burgers that our local pub have been producing for takeaway though - OMG so good.

McDonalds produce fast food, and even if they are good employers we should not overlook the dietary impact and our problem in the UK with obesity. Other fast food chains probably deserve the same criticism.

Obesity has made many more people vulnerable if they caught Covid 19 than would have been the case.

Are McDonald's all franchises? If true then I never knew that!

Anyway we don't have a Maccy Ds in our town so if anyone is heading off for one then come back and describe it to me

Yes I agree the whole UK diet needs looking at but at least we know McDonalds is not great for us, when in fact it's comparable in calories, fat, salt, sugar etc to many things people would see as a healthier option. Most sandwich lunch deals are very similar nutritionally to a McDonalds burger meal deal and some McDonalds offerings are now quite healthy.

What they mean is that as a large multinational with a $$$$$$ marketing budget, McDonald's can weather whatever storm the world throws.

Small independents just can't compete.

The shop local, support local businesses is a good message even not in the middle of a pandemic.

Also it's been our local businesses who for the last 11 weeks have been totally changing their business methods to offer deliveries, or takeaway, or ready meals, or kits ot make food at home. McDonald's did none of that, they just closed.

Totally agree. My dd has a part time job at a Primark (another store that gets a lot of flack) and they have treated her amazingly well throughout lockdown.

DH has lost a stone in lockdown after breaking his Tesco meal deal lunch habit, 900 calories in a sandwich, bag of crisps and a "healthy" smoothie, which is actually more than a Big Mac, chips and diet coke.

I'd rather shoot myself in the fanny than eat McDonalds (personal taste not values or anything) but I get where some people are coming from.