Why McDonalds?

[susiecruise]

So I can appreciate craving some french fries and possible a mostly meatless McD burger, but why whnever I pick up thru hikers, they ALWAYS want to go to McDonalds? We have so many good places to get a real burger and fresh vegetables and I'll offer to take them whereever but most are set on McDonalds, which by the way s not conviently located near the AT.

[Doc]

Cheap, lots of calories, plenty of salt, easy to eat quickly, no need to clean up first, availability of large milk shake. Later in the day in town is time for a more refined meal but not when you just have a large hole to fill.

[Tuckahoe]

Its a comfort food for many. And sometimes when traveling its nice to go to someplace familiar rather than deal with regional fare and tastes that is normal to the locals but just odd to you. McDonalds is McDonalds no matter where you go and the price is rather predictable. No matter where I am a double cheeseburger and small fries is $2.50 or there about. If I have to have fast food my preference would be first a Sheetz then a BK.

[Starchild]

My take is, McD's has done a outstanding job marketing themselves to children and in that 'the inner child' we all have. The needs of a thru hiker is similar to that of a child - comfort, they want a sense of home and of belonging and acceptance. After being away from 'home' for so long, sometimes the appeal of local food is overshadowed by wanting to be taken to a place most closely related to back home. The care many trail angels give is also very 'parental' in nature, offering rides, treats, places to sleep. etc.

All that said I only had breakfast at McD's, and that perhaps only 2x, during my thru.

[leaftye]

Fast, cheap and familiar.

[Malto]

Fast, cheap and familiar.

Exactly....

[Sarcasm the elf]

So I can appreciate craving some french fries and possible a mostly meatless McD burger, but why whnever I pick up thru hikers, they ALWAYS want to go to McDonalds? We have so many good places to get a real burger and fresh vegetables and I'll offer to take them whereever but most are set on McDonalds, which by the way s not conviently located near the AT.

Easy answer, it's because they don't know the area and have never had a pizza from Baba Louie's!

[tiptoe]

Usually when I get to a town, I look around to see what eateries are available, if I don't already know from my AT guide or word of mouth. If I'm hitchhiking and am going to be dropped off, I ask for a good place to eat and pursue the conversation from there. I often crave fries and a burger, but the golden arches are a last resort. I'd rather eat at a little diner where the waitresses (and they are usuallly waitresses) look like they're straight out of the 1940s.

[MDSection12]

I don't consider McDonald's to be a real burger, yet I still crave it from time to time.

[Hairbear]

My take is, McD's has done a outstanding job marketing themselves to children and in that 'the inner child' we all have. The needs of a thru hiker is similar to that of a child - comfort, they want a sense of home and of belonging and acceptance. After being away from 'home' for so long, sometimes the appeal of local food is overshadowed by wanting to be taken to a place most closely related to back home. The care many trail angels give is also very 'parental' in nature, offering rides, treats, places to sleep. etc.

All that said I only had breakfast at McD's, and that perhaps only 2x, during my thru.

This...preconditioned response,sort of a Pavlovic dog situation.

[rocketsocks]

The Dollar menu

[gollwoods]

fast fat hot cheap

[SCRUB HIKER]

The Dollar menu

Alas, it's now called the Dollar Menu and More to accommodate price hikes. But yes, that has been my #1 reason for choosing McDonald's in trail towns as well.

[ChinMusic]

wifi...........

[jimmyjam]

The mcdouble for a buck and get four or five and a shake

[Dogwood]

Yup, it's believed by the masses to be fast, familiar, cheap, tasty, and convenient. It's image. As in imagination. As in the marketing gurus at McDonalds assisting the consumer in having the image that McDonalds wants portrayed that BEST serves McDonalds.

Interesting that Andre Agassi who was paid millions for Canon's marketing hype 'Image is Everything' later said his image was more a facade(FALSE FRONT) than reality.

[hikerboy57]

hey susiecruise!!
it was cool meeting you yesterday at jug end.i was lmao when i saw this thread, as i stopped for 2 bacon mcdoubles and a large chocolate shake on my way home to day. never made it to sages.stayed at race brook falls.565.

[Rasty]

Fast, cheap and familiar.

We have a winner

[Miner]

Buying a large bag full of McDouble burgers off the Value Menu was a quick way to get alot of food on the cheap and with double the meat of a regular cheese burger, it isn't so meatless as the OP would have you believe. It was also easy to carry a few out of town on the next section. However, with the price increases on it this year, it isn't as big of a bargin as it use to be.

I like eating well in town and often crave something green, but there are times when I just want to bing on junk. And if I'm leaving town, I want something quick and easy to carry out for lunch or dinner that doesn't taste like the rest of the food in my pack.

[Coffee]

Maybe I'm doing it wrong but when I buy a meal at McDonalds (very rare), I end up paying $6-7, same as I would someplace like Chick-fil-a which IMO offers a far better product.