April 18, 2024 • 9 mins
1. McDonald's Spices Things Up with New Bacon Cajun Ranch McCrispy Sandwiches!
2. Pickle Power: The Ultimate Ranking of Fast Food's Best Briny Bites Revealed!
3. Sedona's Shocking Teal Arches: The Mysterious McDonald's That Broke All the Rules!
4. Bojangles' Big California Invasion: Southern Fried Chicken Chain Sets Sights on LA!
5. Fast Food Frenzy: California's $20 Minimum Wage Sparks Pricing Panic and Restaurant Rivalry!
2. Pickle Power: The Ultimate Ranking of Fast Food's Best Briny Bites Revealed!
3. Sedona's Shocking Teal Arches: The Mysterious McDonald's That Broke All the Rules!
4. Bojangles' Big California Invasion: Southern Fried Chicken Chain Sets Sights on LA!
5. Fast Food Frenzy: California's $20 Minimum Wage Sparks Pricing Panic and Restaurant Rivalry!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Caloroga Shark Media. Welcome back tothe Weekly Mac. I'm your host,
Mac, and we've got a jampacked show for you today. First up,
McDonald's is expanding its menu with theaddition of two new chicken sandwiches nationwide.
McDonald's has a new Bacon Cajun Ranchmccrispy rolling into stores this week,
(00:25):
reports the snack of later Instagram page. According to at McDonald's, the Bacon
Cajun Ranch mccrispy is stacked with aSouthern style fried chicken filet and bold applewood
smoked bacon. Then it's topped withcrispy and cool crinkle cut pickles, and
finished with a creamy Cajun ranch sauceon the top and bottom of a warm
toasted potato roll. The chain willalso be offering a deluxe version of the
(00:47):
sandwich that includes lettuce and tomatoes.McDonald's has not yet disclosed calorie or pricing
information for these new chicken offerings.It's an interesting move for the fast food
giant as they look to capitalize onthe growing popularity of chicken sandwiches with iconic
menu items like the Big Mac,quarter pounder and chicken McNuggets. Accounting for
sixty five percent of their sales,McDonald's has plenty of flexibility to innovate and
(01:11):
introduce new twists on customer favorites.Speaking of customer favorites, let's dive into
our next story. This from mashdot com the Ultimate Ranking of fast food
pickles. Their team of self proclaimedpickle connoisseurs has put together the definitive list,
counting down from number ten to thetop spot. At number ten,
(01:32):
we have Whitecastle. Their unique approachof steaming burger patties on a bed of
onions, then placing pickles on topallows the pickle flavor to really permeate the
entire slider. Coming in at numbernine, Jersey Mike's is serving up sandwiches
with a big, bold flavor thanksto their garlic infused pickles. As one
fan put it, the garlic infusedpickles create a flavor packed sandwich experience that
(01:55):
keeps me coming back. And roundingout the top eight, Wendy's may have
face some quality issues in recent years, but their extra fermented pickles still deliver
a distinctive taste when the burger ison point. Sonic claims the number seven
spot with their creative pickle offerings likefried pickle fries and a pickle juice slush,
showcasing the amazing versatility of this ingredient. Moving up to number six,
(02:19):
We've got Roy Rogers and their famousFixin's Bar that lets customers load up on
the franchises sought after high quality pickles. The number five spot goes to five
Guys who commit to putting five pickleson every single burger, ensuring the perfect
pickle to burger ratio every time.At the top of the list, McDonald's
signature blend of finely diced onions,mustard ketchup and strong pickles creates a uniquely
(02:45):
delicious flavor profile that lands them atnumber four, taking the bronze medal.
Chick fil A proves the pickle isa key component of their iconic chicken sandwiches,
with the flavor really shining through.The runner up spot goes to Carls
Junior and Hardy's, who these thick, crunchy pickles are a true highlight of
their messy, flavorful burgers, andfinally, crowned is the ultimate fast food
(03:07):
pickle destination. Jimmy Johns takes thenumber one spot as one customer put it,
Their massive pickles, available both asa topping and a standalone side,
make this the go to spot forany true pickle lover. Wow, what
an impressive lineup. From the uniqueto the classic, these brands have really
elevated the humble pickle to new heights. Where does your favorite fast food pickle
(03:30):
rank on the list? More injust a moment. All right, let's
shift gears now and head to thesouthwest, where we've got a unique McDonald's
location to tell you about. There'sa single McDonald's in the world where the
(03:50):
arches are not the traditional golden yellow, but rather a striking teal color.
This one of a kind restaurant islocated in Sedona, Arizona, and it's
become quite the tourist attraction. Theteal arches were a requirement set by city
officials to help the restaurant blend inwith Sodona's iconic red rocks and natural landscape.
When the location was built in nineteenninety three, the Department of Community
(04:12):
Development felt the traditional golden arches justwouldn't fit the surroundings. Teal, on
the other hand, seemed unique andconsistent with Sodona's identity and environment, so
city officials pushed the fast food chainto change the color, and they won,
the report explains. Ever since,this Sedona McDonald's, with its blue
green arches, has drawn visitors fromall over, becoming a must see destination
(04:36):
alongside the city's famous hiking trails andshops. It's not the only McDonald's with
unconventionally colored arches, though. There'salso a location in Rockland, California with
red arches, as well as ablack arched restaurant in Monterey, California.
And over in Paris, France,the arches on the Champs Elyse are a
sleek, sophisticated white. So whilethe Sedona McDonald's may be the only blue
(05:00):
one, it's certainly not the onlyMcDonald's breaking the mold when it comes to
branding. All right, folks,we've got some major news out of California
that could be shaking up the fastfood industry in a big way. Get
ready for this one. Recently,the state of California raised its minimum wage
for fast food workers to a whoppingdollar twenty per hour. That's twenty five
(05:21):
percent above the state's general minimum wage, and it's got some franchisees sweating.
The thing is, these higher laborcosts have fast food chains scrambling to hike
their prices in order to offset theimpact, and that price difference between fast
food and casual dining restaurants, well, it could be shrinking pretty quickly.
(05:41):
You see, the new twenty dollarsminimum wage only applies to limited service restaurants,
the ones where you order and paybefore you eat. Casual dining spots
like Chili's and Applebee's aren't subject tothis new rule, so they're not expected
to raise their prices as dramatically.One restaurant owner, Shane Paul, who
runs one seven Jack in the Boxlocations in San Diego, says he's already
(06:02):
had to bump up his prices byten to eleven percent over the past year
to get ready for the wage hike. In previous years, he was only
raising them by three point five tofour percent, and he's already seeing those
higher prices start to impact transactions athis restaurants. Transactions at his restaurants are
already trending down, the report says. Paul speculated some of the diners could
(06:26):
be going to casual dining restaurants likeChili's or Applebee's instead, which he said
had deals that meant diners could havea sit down meal for a dollar or
two more than US. Analysts sayit's tough to predict exactly how consumer habits
will shift in response to these fastfood price increases. Some may buy more
groceries, seek out value deals,or just switch to different restaurants altogether.
(06:48):
And it's not just the fast foodchains that could be feeling the pressure.
Salvatali, who owns a full servicerestaurant called The Garden Club in South San
Francisco, says he'll absolutely have toraise his own wages to stay competitive with
the local fast food joints. Still, some experts think casual dining chains could
see a bit of a benefit hereas the price gap narrows. Sharon Zakfa,
(07:13):
a restaurant analyst at William Blair,says if casual dining can hold prices
and doesn't see the upward labor pressure, it could receive some benefit. Of
course, fast food will likely stillhave the edge when it comes to speed
and convenience, but with these neweconomic forces at play, it's anyone's guess
how it'll all shake out. Thisis definitely a story we'll be keeping a
(07:34):
close eye on in the weeks andmonths ahead. Finally, we've got some
big news out of the Carolinas.North Carolina based chain Bojangles, known for
its Southern style fried chicken, fluffybiscuits, and sweet tea, has major
expansion plans for Los Angeles, markingthe brand's first foray into California. Over
(07:56):
the next several years. Bojangles plansto open a whopping thirty franchise is in
Greater LA with the first location slatedto open in early twenty twenty five.
This expansion is being spearheaded by seasonedLA based entrepreneur Lorenzo Bucetta and Poula Brothers,
LLC. I've spent several years inhospitality and real estate development, but
my roots have always been ingrained inthe restaurant industry, Bhusetta said. The
(08:20):
opportunity to grow Bojangles in California presenteditself at the perfect moment, and I'm
thrilled to bring this iconic brand tothe market for the first time. Bojangles
has been on a serious growth trajectorylately, opening forty new restaurants in twenty
twenty three and adding two hundred andseventy new units to its pipeline just last
year. The brand is also eyeingPhoenix in Las Vegas as potential new markets.
(08:46):
In La Bojangles will be joining acompetitive fast food landscape that includes California
favorite In and Out and national brandswith local ties like McDonald's. Of course,
the cities love for fried chicken classicslike Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and Howland
rays means Bojangles will be bringing adistinct Southern flare to the area. Whether
the brand will be met with openarms remains to be seen, but one
(09:09):
thing's clear, Bojangles is looking tospread its wings on the West Coast.
This is definitely a story we'll bekeeping a close eye on in the months
ahead. All Right, folks,that's all the fast food scoop we've got
for you this week on The WeeklyMac. Stay tuned for more updates next
time. Until then, happy eating, and we'll see you around. The
Weekly Mac is a Calorogus Shark MediaProduction Executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.
(09:35):
Portions of this podcast may have beencreated with the assistance of Ai
Caloroga Shark Media. Welcome back tothe Weekly Mac. I'm your host,
Mac, and we've got a jampacked show for you today. First up,
McDonald's is expanding its menu with theaddition of two new chicken sandwiches nationwide.
McDonald's has a new Bacon Cajun Ranchmccrispy rolling into stores this week,
(00:25):
reports the snack of later Instagram page. According to at McDonald's, the Bacon
Cajun Ranch mccrispy is stacked with aSouthern style fried chicken filet and bold applewood
smoked bacon. Then it's topped withcrispy and cool crinkle cut pickles, and
finished with a creamy Cajun ranch sauceon the top and bottom of a warm
toasted potato roll. The chain willalso be offering a deluxe version of the
(00:47):
sandwich that includes lettuce and tomatoes.McDonald's has not yet disclosed calorie or pricing
information for these new chicken offerings.It's an interesting move for the fast food
giant as they look to capitalize onthe growing popularity of chicken sandwiches with iconic
menu items like the Big Mac,quarter pounder and chicken McNuggets. Accounting for
sixty five percent of their sales,McDonald's has plenty of flexibility to innovate and
(01:11):
introduce new twists on customer favorites.Speaking of customer favorites, let's dive into
our next story. This from mashdot com the Ultimate Ranking of fast food
pickles. Their team of self proclaimedpickle connoisseurs has put together the definitive list,
counting down from number ten to thetop spot. At number ten,
(01:32):
we have Whitecastle. Their unique approachof steaming burger patties on a bed of
onions, then placing pickles on topallows the pickle flavor to really permeate the
entire slider. Coming in at numbernine, Jersey Mike's is serving up sandwiches
with a big, bold flavor thanksto their garlic infused pickles. As one
fan put it, the garlic infusedpickles create a flavor packed sandwich experience that
(01:55):
keeps me coming back. And roundingout the top eight, Wendy's may have
face some quality issues in recent years, but their extra fermented pickles still deliver
a distinctive taste when the burger ison point. Sonic claims the number seven
spot with their creative pickle offerings likefried pickle fries and a pickle juice slush,
showcasing the amazing versatility of this ingredient. Moving up to number six,
(02:19):
We've got Roy Rogers and their famousFixin's Bar that lets customers load up on
the franchises sought after high quality pickles. The number five spot goes to five
Guys who commit to putting five pickleson every single burger, ensuring the perfect
pickle to burger ratio every time.At the top of the list, McDonald's
signature blend of finely diced onions,mustard ketchup and strong pickles creates a uniquely
(02:45):
delicious flavor profile that lands them atnumber four, taking the bronze medal.
Chick fil A proves the pickle isa key component of their iconic chicken sandwiches,
with the flavor really shining through.The runner up spot goes to Carls
Junior and Hardy's, who these thick, crunchy pickles are a true highlight of
their messy, flavorful burgers, andfinally, crowned is the ultimate fast food
(03:07):
pickle destination. Jimmy Johns takes thenumber one spot as one customer put it,
Their massive pickles, available both asa topping and a standalone side,
make this the go to spot forany true pickle lover. Wow, what
an impressive lineup. From the uniqueto the classic, these brands have really
elevated the humble pickle to new heights. Where does your favorite fast food pickle
(03:30):
rank on the list? More injust a moment. All right, let's
shift gears now and head to thesouthwest, where we've got a unique McDonald's
location to tell you about. There'sa single McDonald's in the world where the
(03:50):
arches are not the traditional golden yellow, but rather a striking teal color.
This one of a kind restaurant islocated in Sedona, Arizona, and it's
become quite the tourist attraction. Theteal arches were a requirement set by city
officials to help the restaurant blend inwith Sodona's iconic red rocks and natural landscape.
When the location was built in nineteenninety three, the Department of Community
(04:12):
Development felt the traditional golden arches justwouldn't fit the surroundings. Teal, on
the other hand, seemed unique andconsistent with Sodona's identity and environment, so
city officials pushed the fast food chainto change the color, and they won,
the report explains. Ever since,this Sedona McDonald's, with its blue
green arches, has drawn visitors fromall over, becoming a must see destination
(04:36):
alongside the city's famous hiking trails andshops. It's not the only McDonald's with
unconventionally colored arches, though. There'salso a location in Rockland, California with
red arches, as well as ablack arched restaurant in Monterey, California.
And over in Paris, France,the arches on the Champs Elyse are a
sleek, sophisticated white. So whilethe Sedona McDonald's may be the only blue
(05:00):
one, it's certainly not the onlyMcDonald's breaking the mold when it comes to
branding. All right, folks,we've got some major news out of California
that could be shaking up the fastfood industry in a big way. Get
ready for this one. Recently,the state of California raised its minimum wage
for fast food workers to a whoppingdollar twenty per hour. That's twenty five
(05:21):
percent above the state's general minimum wage, and it's got some franchisees sweating.
The thing is, these higher laborcosts have fast food chains scrambling to hike
their prices in order to offset theimpact, and that price difference between fast
food and casual dining restaurants, well, it could be shrinking pretty quickly.
(05:41):
You see, the new twenty dollarsminimum wage only applies to limited service restaurants,
the ones where you order and paybefore you eat. Casual dining spots
like Chili's and Applebee's aren't subject tothis new rule, so they're not expected
to raise their prices as dramatically.One restaurant owner, Shane Paul, who
runs one seven Jack in the Boxlocations in San Diego, says he's already
(06:02):
had to bump up his prices byten to eleven percent over the past year
to get ready for the wage hike. In previous years, he was only
raising them by three point five tofour percent, and he's already seeing those
higher prices start to impact transactions athis restaurants. Transactions at his restaurants are
already trending down, the report says. Paul speculated some of the diners could
(06:26):
be going to casual dining restaurants likeChili's or Applebee's instead, which he said
had deals that meant diners could havea sit down meal for a dollar or
two more than US. Analysts sayit's tough to predict exactly how consumer habits
will shift in response to these fastfood price increases. Some may buy more
groceries, seek out value deals,or just switch to different restaurants altogether.
(06:48):
And it's not just the fast foodchains that could be feeling the pressure.
Salvatali, who owns a full servicerestaurant called The Garden Club in South San
Francisco, says he'll absolutely have toraise his own wages to stay competitive with
the local fast food joints. Still, some experts think casual dining chains could
see a bit of a benefit hereas the price gap narrows. Sharon Zakfa,
(07:13):
a restaurant analyst at William Blair,says if casual dining can hold prices
and doesn't see the upward labor pressure, it could receive some benefit. Of
course, fast food will likely stillhave the edge when it comes to speed
and convenience, but with these neweconomic forces at play, it's anyone's guess
how it'll all shake out. Thisis definitely a story we'll be keeping a
(07:34):
close eye on in the weeks andmonths ahead. Finally, we've got some
big news out of the Carolinas.North Carolina based chain Bojangles, known for
its Southern style fried chicken, fluffybiscuits, and sweet tea, has major
expansion plans for Los Angeles, markingthe brand's first foray into California. Over
(07:56):
the next several years. Bojangles plansto open a whopping thirty franchise is in
Greater LA with the first location slatedto open in early twenty twenty five.
This expansion is being spearheaded by seasonedLA based entrepreneur Lorenzo Bucetta and Poula Brothers,
LLC. I've spent several years inhospitality and real estate development, but
my roots have always been ingrained inthe restaurant industry, Bhusetta said. The
(08:20):
opportunity to grow Bojangles in California presenteditself at the perfect moment, and I'm
thrilled to bring this iconic brand tothe market for the first time. Bojangles
has been on a serious growth trajectorylately, opening forty new restaurants in twenty
twenty three and adding two hundred andseventy new units to its pipeline just last
year. The brand is also eyeingPhoenix in Las Vegas as potential new markets.
(08:46):
In La Bojangles will be joining acompetitive fast food landscape that includes California
favorite In and Out and national brandswith local ties like McDonald's. Of course,
the cities love for fried chicken classicslike Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and Howland
rays means Bojangles will be bringing adistinct Southern flare to the area. Whether
the brand will be met with openarms remains to be seen, but one
(09:09):
thing's clear, Bojangles is looking tospread its wings on the West Coast.
This is definitely a story we'll bekeeping a close eye on in the months
ahead. All Right, folks,that's all the fast food scoop we've got
for you this week on The WeeklyMac. Stay tuned for more updates next
time. Until then, happy eating, and we'll see you around. The
Weekly Mac is a Calorogus Shark MediaProduction Executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott.
(09:35):
Portions of this podcast may have beencreated with the assistance of Ai
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