Does McDonald's hate the homeless?

[Capt Worley PE]

What would seemingly be an issue of capitalism and supply and demand in any other city, or any other neighborhood in San Francisco, has instead morphed into another battle between merchants and the homeless in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
The McDonald's at the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets eliminated its Dollar Menu about a month ago, making the items on it too expensive for the people who spend the better part of their day on the sidewalk in front.

Oh, boo-freakin'-hoo!

More at: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...L#ixzz0ynZTE1Gc

 

[snickerd3]

I don't blame her one bit.

 

[Supe]

First off, that girl on the steps isn't going hungry any time soon. She weighs more than I do.

As for the last two, if you can afford to have tattoos, you can afford a $1.29 cheeseburger.

 

[MA_PE]

Management locks the bathroom door and frequently calls the cops. On top of that, Mayor Gavin Newsom and several Haight Street merchants are pushing a November ballot measure that would ban sitting or lying on public sidewalks.

The bastards!!! locking the bathroom door, not allowing anyone to sit or lie down on public sidewalks. Where's the ACLU!!!!

Still, people like Newhart, who moved from Tennessee to the streets of San Francisco five years ago, say they are often hungrier than usual.
"Yeah man, it ... sucks," he said Thursday while sitting foodless on the McDonald's patio with a half dozen hungry friends. "I eat less. I have to get more money. If I don't have a dollar and I want food, I just end up going to a trash can."

Do you think he hired movers or just rented a Uhaul?

At least he's got a back up plan.

 

[Sschell]

isn't that everybodys backup plan... well if all else fails, I'll just be a bum & eat trash.

 

[FusionWhite]

So this is a ploy to get the homeless people to leave. Mehh, happens all the time, a lot of park benches Ive seen have been replaced by these weird iron bars; they're ok for sitting on for about 20 minutes, but theres no way you could lay on it. Keeps the bums from sleeping in the shiny new parks.

As for the McDonalds, I wonder how the economics of this works out. Assuming that McD's actually turns a profit on a dollar menu item I would like the see the results this

Total value of homeless patrons = [(profits made from the homeless) - (business lost because people wont go to a McD's with bums hanging out front) - any other associated costs of serving the homeless (like the article says they had to lock up the bathrooms)]

If that comes out positive then COME IN BUMS. If negative, then jack up the prices and get them out. Capitalism at work people.

 

[Master slacker]

See the tear coming from my eye?

They must be on the 99 week unemployment plan - GIMME GIMME GIMME GIMME!!!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

"I eat less. I have to get more money. If I don't have a dollar and I want food, I just end up going to a trash can."

Dude, there are people in other countries who would kick you ass for the chance to be homeless in America. No lie.

 

[Desert Engineer]

I was in SF this summer and drove thru that McDs. My wife and i both commented on how thick the homeless were there and on Haight street. The McDs is right across the street from goldengate park. It looks like they sleep in the park and hang out at the McDs during the day.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I was in SF this summer and drove thru that McDs. My wife and i both commented on how thick the homeless were there and on Haight street. The McDs is right across the street from goldengate park. It looks like they sleep in the park and hang out at the McDs during the day.

They sound like hugely productive people. Maybe they should go to burning man or something so they can become enlightened and determine their purpose in life.

 

[csb]

There was a big uproar with Burger King franchisees over the new dollar menu, because they actually LOST money on it. I don't know if the McDonald's set up is the same, but it seems to me that she's doing what she needs to do to get by.

 

[snickerd3]

dollar menus are sort of lost leader type of thing. You take a small loss in hopes they buy something else on the menu to go with the $1 item so you still make a net profit. But if people just buy a couple $1 menu items then you do lose.

I was reading an article a few months back about a McD exec to who came up with the idea to only serve one slice of cheese on the mcdouble, the one on the $1 menu, to make it profitable on the $1 menu. If you want two slices of cheese you need to buy the double cheeseburger, which is like $1.19 or something. Something a simple as a slice of cheese can make or break a menu item.

 

[ElCid03]

I wonder if that exec learned it at Hamburger University.....

 

[Kephart P.E.]

The dollar menu is a total marketing ploy nothing else, they offer you something at a loss hoping you also buy a soda for $1.79 that costs them 10 cents to fill.

It isn't surprising that they dropped the dollar menu because people that live (and actually work) in the city don't eat there.

Its the same way here in Portland.

I mean for $6-8 I can eat a delicious reasonably healthy meal from one of our food carts or get a Mcdonald's hamburger and fries and save a buck or two....not much of a decision.

 

[TouchDown]

If a quick meal is necessary, we will feed our family of 5 off the dollar menu for around $10. Drive through, take home, slice up and apple and grapes to go for sides, and drink milk from the fridge.

For a family on the go, the dollar menu's are pretty nice if you can just choose to stay away from the fries / etc.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

They have fries on the dollar menu here.

I like that all the fast food places offer it now. Burger and fries for two bucks plus tax, and it is decently sized, too.

 

[Dleg]

Do all McDonald's now refuse to give a cup of water unless you buy a $1.75 bottled water? I remember the days when you could get a small cup of water for free at McDonald's. I was at one of our local McD's last week, and my son and neice and nephew had just finished up about $8 of "McFlurries" when my son started a coughing fit from the Oreo crumbs in McFlurry. So, I went up to the cahsier to ask for a small cup of water so my son could wash the stuff out of his mouth, and the cashier promptly rung me up for a $1.75 bottled water. I asked what happened to free water, and was met with a blank stare. Meanwhile, my son is coughing and gagging and my wife is giving me the WTF look, so I did a quick calculation and bought a small fountain drink, since it's less than a bottle of freaking water.

Bastards.

But I don't blame McD's in the SF case.

In my case, WTF, RONALD???????

 

[BamaBino]

for the people who spend the better part of their day on the sidewalk in front.

They are just victims of Obamanomics.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

for the people who spend the better part of their day on the sidewalk in front.

They are just victims of Obamanomics.

It is actually part of the new Obamacare plan. Outdoor time, and less food intake. It is GOOD FOR YOU, DAMMIT!!!!

 

[csb]

You can still get free water at our McDonald's, but you have to make sure to phrase it as "I'd like a glass for water" so they don't charge you.