This is an updated version of an early original I feel that I have been away from the company long enough to have an unbiased opinion and can provide a very balanced review. Please let me know what yout hink?

I have been a massive fan of McDonalds for years and once even worked for them for a great length of time and enjoyed the whole experience.

I have read many opinions on both of the fast food giants and have often found that McDonald?s comes out fairly poorly in a lot of them, this is mainly due to hear say and not actual experiences.

I hope to alleviate some of the disillusions that some consumers may provide the general public.

~ History

McDonald?s although sounding very Scottish is a traditional American Franchise company that was founded many years ago. I will tell you a little about the story and how we came to the famous big M of today.

Back in 1954 a man named Ray Krock (52) invented a 5 spindled multi mixer milkshake machine and had heard of a small burger van in California that was operating something similar, he packed up his life and headed that way.

He met the brothers who ran the burger van and enticed them into franchising his invention. The deal was that he would open up several restaurants for the McDonald brothers (Dick and Mac) if they used his machines.

The first restaurant with the famous golden arches opened in 1955 and the first days taking were an impressive $367. This was in Des Plaines Illinois, and is now a museum filled with McDonald?s memorabilia. The golden arches were not really to be invented as the big M we know it as today, it was in fact that at either side of the first restaurant was to big curved yellow arches from one end of the building to the other.

A massive company was born and McDonald?s fast became the biggest company in America, it was only 20 years later that McDonald?s first opened it?s doors to the public in the UK.

When visit
ing McDonald?s I am sure you will all agree it is almost like walking into the same place no matter where in the country or world you are, I know not all are the same but the similarities between them all is uncanny.

This was down to the thinking of Ray Krock he always believed that to be universally recognised, as a truly great company standards had to be equal to brands and easily recognisable, buildings were the same the world over, the food was the same the world over and procedures in McDonald?s were the same. Consistent throughout, I remember many a time being asked to work in branches in other cities and even going to work in Atlanta Olympic Village for the Olympics and the procedures were the exact same.

So what is it that McDonald?s have that keep people returning again and again? Well it is simple Quality, Value and Cleanliness. That is certainly what I think of it as. With simple ideas and great value people just can?t help but to go back.

~ Food

McDonald?s food is seen as junk food to many and just as treats to others, in fact McDonald?s endeavour to ensure that only the highest quality and nutritious food is served to its customers.

You only need to look at crisis hit times such as BSE Crisis in the UK when McDonalds took the lead and removed all beef products from their menus.

In stores you can find loads of information on nutrition in McDonald?s food from the fries to the shakes and it is very impressive.

For example a quarter pounder deluxe meal only has 11.3 grams of saturated fat in the whole lot including fries and drink.

~ Meals

The biggest attraction the world over of McDonald?s is EXTRA value meals.

In the UK an average extra value meal will cost you £2.99 and this concludes of a burger of your choice, which can be:

~ Big Mac
~ McChicken Sandwich
~ Quarter Pounder (with Cheese/ Deluxe)
~Vegetable Deluxe (for the veggie)
~ Filet
?O? Fish
~ Chicken McNuggets (Jeez spell check is having a fit here!)

You can have any medium size soft drink of your choice or a milk shake (20p extra) you can also opt to have a hot drink or mineral water, the choice is yours. You also get a medium fries.

The meals are known as numbers i.e. Big Mac meal is known as a number one meal and so on. You can also get a larger meal for £3.29 and they have recently introduced a super meal for £3.49, which is mega value as they are huge.

~ Happy Meals

This one is for the kids and the big kids in all of us. McDonald?s Happy Meals are hugely popular and almost 1 million are sold every day.

They cost £1.99 and consist of a burger or chicken nuggets, regular fries and a regular soft drink or milk shake (no added extra).

With this is the main feature of the happy meal and that is a free toy, McDonald?s have ran some amazing offers with the happy meals and the main winners are always the ones that are in conjunction with Disney. McDonald?s has exclusive rights to all new Disney movies to sell the happy meal toys.

The biggest one in recent times was 101 Dalmatians when a full set of 101 toys was released McDonald?s was hoarded with children in the short 4 week period that the gimmick was going on. Yes an easy way to make money and yes very clever.

It is also said that anyone with a full set and keeps it in good condition or not even opened will be a very rich kid in years to come.

~ Restaurants

The restaurants across the country as previously stated are very similar, most now have a drive thru that can either be two windows or three, the concept is simple either place your order at the speaker or window drive to the next to pay and collect at the next. The aim is that is should be quick although I am sure we have all experienced service that is anything but.

Inside the restaurants are fairly plain and normally beige and neutral
colours, they are very clean most of the time although I have found that extremely busy times, they can get quite messy, I also know this is true from an employment point of view, and cal also add that it is something they try hard to monitor but due to sheer volumes of customers it can be unexpectedly busy.

There are toilets for all and each caters for every need imaginable:

~ Low sinks for the kids
~ Finger friendly doors and locks
~ Disabled toilets
~ Baby changing areas in unisex toilets (handy for the dads)
~ Lowered urinals for the young lads

All are truly family friendly features I am sure you will agree.

~ Play Areas

Not all McDonald?s have a play area but many do and let?s so many children have hours of safe fun, allowing mums n dad?s to just sit back and relax. Most restaurants now have satellite TV link up to Nickelodeon, which can have the kids engrossed for hours.

~ Birthday Parties

Many kids want to have their birthday party at McDonald?s and it is always a winner with them as they get to spend 90 minutes with their friends in their favourite place eating their favourite food what more could a kid ask for.

Each party is 90 minutes long and is hosted by two fully trained staff and the theme is Space. A happy meal is the meal and each kid received a birthday pack and the birthday child receives a special Disney gift from McDonald?s.

For the parents McDonald?s will make it as easy for them as possible by providing:

~ Invitations
~ Hats
~ Balloons
~ Birthday Packs

What more could a parent ask for in today?s busy world.

You can also have a space birthday cake provided by McDonald?s at an extra cost of £4.99 this should cater for up to 8 kids.

They have no policy on bringing your own cakes so feel free.

~ Community

McDonald?s takes an active role in the community by encouraging that litter is not
strewn about the streets, they actively send staff out to litter pick as they call it, and ensure that their rubbish is not cluttering the street around their areas.

They will also invite local schools and children into their restaurants to let them see how the business is run.

They also promote local charity events as well as donating to them in a big way.

So that is what I think McDonald?s has to offer and it has a brand that is one of the most recognisable in the world only to be beaten by Coca ? Cola, and did you know that apart from Santa Claus, Ronald McDonald is the most recognised person in the world.

I hope you have found this useful and can see that McDonald?s is not a bad place but a fun place with lot?s to do and eat! J

For much more information you can visit their fantastic website at www.mcdonalds.co.uk.