A trip to McDonald's used to be the most exciting thing that could happen to you. The long, stretching expanse of childhood would be set aglow by those brightly coloured chairs and walls; the blinding, traffic light red of ketchup; the tingle of too much salt; the tantalising new toy waiting to be ripped out of its tiny plastic bag.
If you got invited to a birthday party at McDonald’s, it was like being invited to the Met Gala, if the Met Gala involved giggling, screaming children running around the indoor playground and an appearance by Ronald McDonald. My parents only took me as a rare treat – they weren’t keen on how unhealthy chicken nuggets and fries were, or on the idea of letting us have our way too often – but this only added to its allure.
Even as a teenager and in my early twenties, McDonald’s still held a special place in my heart. It is, after all, the world’s most famous fast food joint, having been a constant presence since 1940. The brightly lit stores, many of which stay open 24/7, became beacons – either as conveniently cheap places to meet friends and talk for hours, or reliable late night spots to feed drunken, hungry bellies. I had always looked upon those golden arches with fondness – but not so much anymore. This year, I’ve only been to McDonald’s once.
It’s not just me. In July, McDonald’s shared that its sales had fallen by one per cent worldwide across every company segment from April to June. It might not sound like a lot, but this marks the first decline in sales that the fast food behemoth has seen since the final quarter of 2020. Back then, they could blame the pandemic for forcing them to close their doors. Now, a decline of just one per cent in sales has led to the company’s net income falling by 12 per cent to $2bn (£1.55m).
Denne historien er fra August 19, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 19, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Rioter's mum who went on Ibiza trip given £1,200 fine
Parent went on holiday when her son, 12, was due in court
Our technocrat PM seems to think he is above politics
Keir Starmer didn’t answer Rishi Sunak’s first question any of the three times he asked it.
New underground hospital 'saving lives' in Ukraine
Ukraine has built its first steel, underground frontline hospital in a bid to provide “critical” first aid to severely wounded soldiers.
Reeves warned tax rises may further damage growth
ONS reveals economy has stalled for second month in a row
Lammy criticises 'fascist' Russia and use of Iranian missiles 'changes debate'
The foreign secretary has warned the security of Europe is at stake as optimism grows in Ukraine that it will get the green light to fire long-range missiles into Russia.
Does Labour have any hope of fixing our broken NHS?
A special “rapid investigation” of the National Health Service was commissioned by the health secretary, Wes Streeting, shortly after he came to office in July, and it has now reported.
Tories have left the NHS in 'critical condition' says peer
Starmer says patients right to be angry’ over damning report
England's white-ball reset presents difficult challenge
The Bazball 2.0 white-ball venture has been confirmed for the start of 2025, but before that England take on Australia in a white-ball series packed into September.
Golden boots shine bright for Kane on winning night
He wore golden boots. And he has won them too of course. Three as the Premier League's top scorer, one for outscoring everyone else in a World Cup. It was a fitting way to mark Harry Kane's century of caps, though. Not the most fitting: that came after the presentations. England 2-0 Finland was Kane 2-0 Finland, a golden night for the golden boots.
Kane scores twice as he celebrates his 100th cap
As much as this match rightfully became about Harry Kane, there was something else it resembled as Lee Carsley’s England fluidly worked the ball to the centurion for his 67th and 68th international goals. It was like one of the top Premier League teams patiently moving a Championship side around until the gaps presented themselves.