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McDonald's Doing Just Fine During Economic Meltdown
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 10, 2009
Modified Feb 10, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 10, 2009
Modified Feb 10, 2009
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Guess which restaurant icon isn't sweating the economic downturn? One Ronald McDonald, Esq. (pictured here with a fan). McDonald's reported a 5.4% sales increase nationwide last month (compared to last January). The big business is largely attributed to the impeccable quality of the chain's cuisine, as well as its inviting, romantic ambiance. Also, the economy; diners like Tristan Engram, a 22-year-old OTB employee in from Brooklyn, tell the Post he's been slumming it at Mickie D's because the fancier T.G.I. Friday's is now beyond his reach. Which now means the Wall Street execs will have to jockey for the best tables. But besides the value menu, McDonald's has also aggressively expanded into the fancy latte arena formerly dominated by Starbucks; this week the franchise will try to wring some brand loyalty from fashionistas as the official coffee of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, serving "espresso-based beverages" at the "exclusive McCafé lounge" in the tents.
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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