China mall opens fake Starbucks, McDonald’s and Pizza Hut

by Jeremy Kressmann on

In addition to being a complex, beautiful and rapidly changing country, we’ve all heard that China is a copyright lawyer’s worst nightmare. A place rife with pirated DVD’s, software and all manner of luxury clothing and handbag knockoffs. It seems that pirated goods have become such a lucrative industry that the country is now dedicating an entire mall to the concept.

According to recent news reports, a mall in Nanjing, China is set to open with all manner of “copycat” stores, sporting awnings with none-too-subtle reinterpretations of well-known Western brands. If you’re looking for your morning pick-me-up, go no further than “Bucksstar” coffee, the place for all your $5 latte needs in Nanjing. When you get hungry, mall visitors can patronize the local “OMC McDnoald’s” or even grab some “Pizza Huh.” Perhaps the pizza chain name is in reference to the quality of the ingredients?

When I first stumbled upon this article, I actually did a half-spit take. Could this be legit, I thought? Yet in a country with a rapidly emerging consumer class and growing lust for fancy French wine and gated communities, it starts to make more sense. For many individuals, owning and consuming brands legitimizes their place in the world, announcing their ascension to the modern global economy. The creators of this mall in Nanjing seem to have come to a similar conclusion – even a knockoff of the real thing, no matter how awkward and blatant to Western eyes, is better than no brands at all.

[Via Buzzfeed]

The bad economy hits the dollar menu with a vengeance

by Scott Carmichael on

If you have a kid, you’ll probably find yourself at the local McDonalds a little more often than you’d want. But this post is not about the joy a Happy Meal can bring a kid, it is about how McDonalds is handling the declining economy.

The photo on the right was shot at my local store, sorry for the crappy quality, I was trying to be as nonchalant as possible when I snapped it.

The text reads “We’re introducing the double hamburger with cheese to the dollar menu and are moving the double cheeseburger and the McChicken, both at a new price of $1.19 to the sandwiches section of the menu“.

So, naturally I had to ask them what the difference is between a double hamburger with cheese, and a double cheeseburger. The extra 19 cents in a double cheeseburger goes towards ONE slice of cheese.

It is official; the bad economy has finally turned companies completely insane in their quest to squeeze more money out of us.

L.A. Pauses Fast Food Industry

by Josh Lew on

L.A. might be a sprawling and frustrating city, but one thing is for sure: when in the City of Angels, you will always be within walking distance of a fast food joint.

These bastions of greasy cuisine have spread at such an alarming rate that, last year, some people were considering stopping fast food expansion by denying licenses to would-be restaurants. Well, the unthinkable has come to pass. Recently, L.A.’s city council decided to put a stop to the growing fast food restaurant industry in South Los Angeles by not allowing new restaurants to open.

The council cited health concerns as the reason for their decision. They hope that the temporary ban will lead to more healthy eating options. These are currently lacking in many of the South’s poorer neighborhoods. However, the numerous fast food shacks already in operation will remain open. So the law will stop the spread of fast food eateries, but it is not a quick fix.

Some people are quick to criticize the decision, saying that the city should not try to control people’s dining choices. Others say that the moratorium might also stop the expansion of restaurants that are branded fast food even though they don’t even have a deep fat fryer. Apparently, the council’s decision will affect storefront taco stands as well. Don’t expect the debate to stop anytime soon.

Big Mac Museum Pays Tribute to a Sandwich and a Man

by Jamie Rhein on

Can you say two-all-beef patties-special sauce-lettuce-cheese-pickles-onions-on-a sesame-seed-bun really fast? If not, try Big Mac. This is it’s 40th year anniversary. Already? It’s true. Frankly, I haven’t really given sandwich creators much thought–except for the 4th Earl of Sandwich who is credited with making the first sandwich ever. The guy who created the Big Mac, Jim Delligatti whipped up that special sauce 40 years ago. It was first served in Uniontown, Pennsylvania to customers who paid 45 cents for one.

To commemorate the grand occasion, there’s a new restaurant museum that pays tribute to this burger creation. The Big Mac Museum in North Huntingdon, PA is 40 miles north of Uniontown. If you want to see the world’s largest Big Mac, head here. It’s 14 feet tall and 12 feet wide. There’s also a bronze bust of Delligatti. If you have a hankering to get a bust of yourself in commemoration of your life, creating a sandwich is one option to get one. But, I’d guess the sandwich can’t just be any old thing. It has to grow in stature to be a cultural and economic icon.

If you think you might head here on the way to somewhere else–why not?–here’s a link to Huntingdon’s park and recreation page. There’s a fishing derby next weekend AND a map with nature trails among other things.

Locate Fast Food Restaurants with FastFoodMaps.com

by Justin Glow on

It may be the most superfluous website on the entire Internet, but it’s done well. FastFoodMaps.com provides a Google Maps interface for locating fast food restaurants around the United States. If you’re having problems locating a fast food restaurant in America, something is wrong. In fact, I’d urge you to not locate a fast food restaurant on your next road trip. Impossible.

Even so, FastFoodMaps.com serves its purpose and does it well. Houston seems to have the highest concentration of fast food restaurants, with just over 500 in the greater metro area. You can filter results by location, of course, but also by restaurant. Houston has almost 130 McDonald’s.

Also interesting is the their static maps which shows the distribution of various chains from around the country. The image above is every McDonald’s in the U.S.

FastFoodMaps.com [via]