I’ve been amazed at how low prices are at fast food chains. If I’m out and about during the day, I’ll pop in at McDonald’s or Burger King, and get two sandwiches off the dollar menu. That’s a filling – if very unhealthy – lunch for $2.10.
Sometimes I’ll splurge at McDonald’s and get two apple pies for $1.
I’ve wondered how they can run a business like that.
Well, it seems the franchisees at Burger King can’t.
They’ve sued the fast food company this week over its $1 double cheeseburger promotion, saying they’re losing $0.10 per burger.
You can read the AP story here.
Recently, some local bloggers went to a Chick-fil-a opening to get some free coupons and then blogged about it. I left a comment that I hope they can appreciate and take in good spirit:
http://tastyniblets.com/2009/10/30/the-chick-fil-a-first-100-at-fort-collins-with-bonus-blizzard/
Thats quite a feat. I have heard about events like this and seen some mildly entertaining documentaries about them- “Hands On A Hard Body”, anyone?
But one thing I feel compelled to mention is the environmental problems associated with the cheap chicken that Chick-fil-a and other fast food chains serve. Massive chicken farms in places like Virginia’s Eastern Shore are poisoning the Chesapeake Bay and other bodies of water with stormwater runoff that is full of chicken pee and poop. Its a real problem that is killing the Bay.
I don’t mean to be a total kill joy, and I too enjoy a good chicken sandwich from time to time, but its something that people need to be educated about so that they can lobby their political representatives to fix. The fast food corporations keep the farms as independent agents so that they can wash their hands of it, so to speak, while the farmers claim they have raise massive amounts of chickens to stay competitive and solvent.
In short, I understand and in a sense admire your quest for cheap chicken, but something does need to change overall to save the environment.
I probably should have left a link to the PBS documentary Poisoned Waters too, but like I said, I did not want to be a total kiiljoy either. It’s not easy to point to the environmental dangers of fast food. Chick-fil-a recently sponsored their annual charity dodgeball tournament at the downtown Richmond convention center- part of me wanted to put together a team to either play in it or picket it.
Most of the fast food chains can afford it because 90% of what they are selling is made out of corn, which costs next to nothing (watch Supersize Me or read Omnivore’s Dilema). It’s all junk and it costs almost nothing to manufacture and meanwhile people are getting fatter and dying because of it. I’m not blaming the restaurants though, it’s just supply and demand. It’s not that much different than cigarettes or alcohol when you think about it, just another drug.
See, I knew there was a reason why I visited your blog. Its because of informative stuff like this. Appreciate it for the post. Look forward to more. See ya!