The Fast Food Thread

Juvarisx

Juvarisx

Florida
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Kirun said:
You're missing the core issue I was pointing out: the causal chain in his argument doesn't hold together. It doesn't matter whether he spent two minutes or twenty on "woke". He frames it as a contributing factor while ignoring the structural market reality that actually drives the industry's mediocrity.

Let's go through your list -

1. Lower quality workers
Worker competence didn't spontaneously collapse in a vacuum. When two giant distributors dictate pricing, sourcing, and margins across half the industry, restaurants have to race to the bottom. If you squeeze every penny out of the supply side, you get low wages, high turnover, and yes, people who don't care. That's not a cultural issue no matter how badly you want to blame a boogeyman, that's economics.

2. Frozen cheese company dominance
Right, 85% of the market. Another example of concentration. And who enables that? The same distributors who centralize supply chains because it's cheaper for them. This is exactly the monopoly dynamic being glossed over.

3. "Only" 50% market control
Saying, "They don't own the whole market, just half," is like saying, "It's not a monopoly, it's only a duopoly." In industries with low margins and high logistical barriers, controlling half is effectively controlling the game. That's why everyone's food tastes the same.

4. Woke CEOs
Whether you label them woke, asleep, or doing cartwheels is irrelevant. CEO incompetence only becomes systemic when market concentration removes accountability. If you can't easily switch suppliers or compete, bad leadership doesn't get punished by the market. There's no culture war explanation required.

5. Acceptance of mediocrity
Consumers can only choose among the options they have. When two firms gatekeep supply, "acceptance" isn't a preference, you're being held captive. Pretending this is just a cultural failing ignores the structural restriction of choice.

6. "No one cares"
People care plenty. It's precisely why fast food companies and the restaurant business continue to struggle. But average people just don't have leverage against a vertically integrated distribution system. You can't "care" your way past systemic consolidation.

So no, I'm not "defensive." I'm pointing out that invoking woke anything is a distraction from the actual, provable cause: a captured market with no competitive pressure.
Click to expand...

None of whatt you say is incorrect, however this is also a reason it all sucks now:

companiesmarketcap.com

McDonald (MCD) - Operating Margin

Current and historical Operating Margin charts for McDonald (MCD).
companiesmarketcap.com companiesmarketcap.com

This is just McDonalds but you will se it throughout the fast food industry. The operating margin for these places is double to triple what they were in the early 2000's. This is a combo of massive price increases, lower quality and cost cutting employees. All 3 will hurt the customer experience.
 
zzeris

zzeris

The Real Benny Johnson
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Kirun said:
You're missing the core issue I was pointing out: the causal chain in his argument doesn't hold together. It doesn't matter whether he spent two minutes or twenty on "woke". He frames it as a contributing factor while ignoring the structural market reality that actually drives the industry's mediocrity.

Let's go through your list -

1. Lower quality workers
Worker competence didn't spontaneously collapse in a vacuum. When two giant distributors dictate pricing, sourcing, and margins across half the industry, restaurants have to race to the bottom. If you squeeze every penny out of the supply side, you get low wages, high turnover, and yes, people who don't care. That's not a cultural issue no matter how badly you want to blame a boogeyman, that's economics.

2. Frozen cheese company dominance
Right, 85% of the market. Another example of concentration. And who enables that? The same distributors who centralize supply chains because it's cheaper for them. This is exactly the monopoly dynamic being glossed over.

3. "Only" 50% market control
Saying, "They don't own the whole market, just half," is like saying, "It's not a monopoly, it's only a duopoly." In industries with low margins and high logistical barriers, controlling half is effectively controlling the game. That's why everyone's food tastes the same.

4. Woke CEOs
Whether you label them woke, asleep, or doing cartwheels is irrelevant. CEO incompetence only becomes systemic when market concentration removes accountability. If you can't easily switch suppliers or compete, bad leadership doesn't get punished by the market. There's no culture war explanation required.

5. Acceptance of mediocrity
Consumers can only choose among the options they have. When two firms gatekeep supply, "acceptance" isn't a preference, you're being held captive. Pretending this is just a cultural failing ignores the structural restriction of choice.

6. "No one cares"
People care plenty. It's precisely why fast food companies and the restaurant business continue to struggle. But average people just don't have leverage against a vertically integrated distribution system. You can't "care" your way past systemic consolidation.

So no, I'm not "defensive." I'm pointing out that invoking woke anything is a distraction from the actual, provable cause: a captured market with no competitive pressure.
Click to expand...

Ok. Here's my reply.

1. Worker competence did fall off the cliff and it has nothing to do with wages. Wages are comparable to any point in history. 20% of workers being druggies is a cultural issue. It's the literal definition of a cultural issue. MoG.

2. It's not just the distributors. It's the companies deciding where to get their cheese to save them costs. In and Out has their own set of suppliers and they dominate the markets they go to. Because they care about what they serve.

3. Two companies having a little over 50% of the market is not a duopoly. It can limit options especially from a price-based standpoint but it isn't a forced decision. It's up to the company leadership. 'We were helpless before the all-powerful distributor' has never been an excuse that worked for a failing company.

4. You must be part of company leadership somewhere. We are completely unable to change things! Except....that's not true. You get rid of bad executives no matter how many Kirun excuses they make.

5. Consumers have the ultimate choice. This is one of the dumbest excuses I've ever heard tbh. Consumers have the ultimate choice of where to spend their money. Thousands and thousands of dead and forgotten companies prove this. No one can force them to spend at a place. I can't believe you just said this.

6. If people cared, they would quit going there. That's how you show you care. It's a simple and proven way to show how you care. That's why Cracker Barrel did an abrupt U-Turn in the middle of wasting money towards their idiotic plan. Because feedback was massively negative. It's why Bud Light cratered. Because people cared enough not to buy their slop. It's why Chi's-Chi's went belly up within a few months of serving toxic food. You care by spending somewhere else.

There's nothing like a captured market for fast food. This is a clown shoes excuse from someone who doesn't really understand the market and loves excuses. The Super Size Me film almost immediately destroyed the supersize meals at McDonalds. Lots of examples of people caring bringing almost immediate change. They are businesses. They are there to make money. They will change if people quit giving them money. It's very simple.
 
moonarchia

moonarchia

The Scientific Shitlord
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zzeris said:
Ok. Here's my reply.

1. Worker competence did fall off the cliff and it has nothing to do with wages. Wages are comparable to any point in history. 20% of workers being druggies is a cultural issue. It's the literal definition of a cultural issue. MoG.

2. It's not just the distributors. It's the companies deciding where to get their cheese to save them costs. In and Out has their own set of suppliers and they dominate the markets they go to. Because they care about what they serve.

3. Two companies having a little over 50% of the market is not a duopoly. It can limit options especially from a price-based standpoint but it isn't a forced decision. It's up to the company leadership. 'We were helpless before the all-powerful distributor' has never been an excuse that worked for a failing company.

4. You must be part of company leadership somewhere. We are completely unable to change things! Except....that's not true. You get rid of bad executives no matter how many Kirun excuses they make.

5. Consumers have the ultimate choice. This is one of the dumbest excuses I've ever heard tbh. Consumers have the ultimate choice of where to spend their money. Thousands and thousands of dead and forgotten companies prove this. No one can force them to spend at a place. I can't believe you just said this.

6. If people cared, they would quit going there. That's how you show you care. It's a simple and proven way to show how you care. That's why Cracker Barrel did an abrupt U-Turn in the middle of wasting money towards their idiotic plan. Because feedback was massively negative. It's why Bud Light cratered. Because people cared enough not to buy their slop. It's why Chi's-Chi's went belly up within a few months of serving toxic food. You care by spending somewhere else.

There's nothing like a captured market for fast food. This is a clown shoes excuse from someone who doesn't really understand the market and loves excuses. The Super Size Me film almost immediately destroyed the supersize meals at McDonalds. Lots of examples of people caring bringing almost immediate change. They are businesses. They are there to make money. They will change if people quit giving them money. It's very simple.
Click to expand...
If the market has an opening, someone will step up to fill it. Even in fast food. If all the big names serve the same low quality shit, it opens the door for a mom and pop shop to build a business based on quality burgers. The town I grew up in still has one of those from the 60s. I just googled it, it's still in business. Small tourist trap, 10k population now. Was 5k when I was growing up.
 
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