Not Loving It: What I Miss About McDonald’s

At the time of this writing, I’m living with another missionary at his house in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Although he has a coffee maker, I still like going out for my morning cup of Joe. In recent years, I’ve mostly gone to Panera Bread because of my Sip Club membership. One can pay a low monthly subscription fee and enjoy unlimited drinks.

Another place I’ve occasionally bought coffee is McDonald’s. With their app, I often got a large one for 99 cents plus tax. There’s a Golden Arches located a few blocks from the house in Saint Paul. However, I’ve rarely stopped in there because they no longer have a public dining area. More McDonald’s franchises are switching to drive-thru and carry-out only. I prefer sitting down while eating my food, plus getting refills of coffee.


McDonald’s may not have the most nutritious food (which has become a bit pricey). Still, I occasionally eat there if I like other specials on their app. Often I go there when in Tampa, Florida because of no Wi-Fi access at the missionary house I stay at. The McDonald’s by Busch Gardens used to be my favorite. I stopped going there after showing up a couple of times but couldn’t sit inside because of an employee shortage. Additionally, other McDonald’s restaurants are now forcing customers to use a kiosk when ordering indoors.


Another aspect I miss about McDonald’s is their extensive shake flavors. During the mid-1990s, I frequently visited a Mickey D's in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, where I was residing at the time. They offered a unique flavor of the month, such as coffee or banana, in addition to the usual chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla options. Even today, McDonald’s still serves their Shamrock Shake during St. Patrick’s Day, and they’ve also introduced an eggnog flavor for Christmas. The latter flavor once prompted me to end a 14-year boycott of McDonald’s.


On a related note, there’s a meme circulating on Facebook that says, “McDonald's can mess your order up 101 times and you still keep going back...One thing goes wrong at Church and you quit. People just aren't hungry enough!” I disagree with this analogy. Seriously, would you keep going back to any restaurant that messed up your order that many times? My lengthy boycott of McDonald’s was triggered by one bad customer service experience. It’s unfortunate some people are easily offended and quit going to church because of how a minister or congregation member treated them. Then again, I won’t go back to certain churches if bad doctrine is taught from the pulpit.


Can you imagine being carded before going into McDonald’s? There’s now one in Fairfax County, Virginia that only allows people 21 or older. That is due to the youth in the area causing problems. Think of the irony. 18-20 year olds can drive a car, get married, serve in the military, pay taxes, and see an X-rated movie, but cannot eat by themselves at that McDonald’s.


I still plan to visit McDonald’s occasionally. It's often been a mission field for me. However, another reason my visits have become less frequent is due to a decline in their customer service. I’ve noticed longer waits for an employee to take my order if I’m not in the drive-thru line. I hope that more employees will remember the old adage: “The customer is always right.”


“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” - Philippians 2:4

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