Branded Fast Food - Thoughts + Poll

[SupraAyf]

Hi guys,

 

Just a quick one for you to sink your teeth into?

 

I have posted the names of a few fast food brands in the attached survey and I was wondering what you chaps thought of them. Your name will not be made public on the survey, etc, but if you have any oppinions of any of the branded establishments mentioned then I would appreciate your thoughts. I am doing this as part of a business development thingy for me.

 

The choices for the "Worst fast food joint in your opinion" are:

 

Burger King

Costa Coffee

KFC

McDonald's

Pizza Hut

Starbucks

Subway

 

I've been off-line for a good while but that's because of my recent intense work commitments. I will try harder, honest.

 

Cheers guys

[Ric]

I'd say KFC.

 

I always used to enjoy it, but perhaps it's just the local ones in sheffield, the last 2-3 times i've been it's been dire, more dire than you'd usually expect for "fast food"

[j_jza80]

Starbucks.

 

Simply awful coffee, worse than instant stuff IMO, yet it manages to be expensive and pretentious. Then there's the questionable manner in which they treat their staff, and their really nasty tax policies, which may be within the letter of the law, but are certainly not in the spirit of it.

[SupraAyf]

You guys have mentioned some cracking points already. I'm looking for any points going, i.e. Food quality, service, company ethics, staff treatment including wages, training, etc; tax issues, environmental issues and littering, social class (who uses what), reputation of brand, atmospherics, anti-social behaviour etc etc.

[Hemanhead]

Letting a child eat an undying ammonium hydroxide burger from old Mcdonalds genetic / chemical farm is borderline child cruelty in my opinion. Plenty of queer morals and ethics involved in fast food production.

[craig85]

I bloody love Burger King but my local one is shocking, if you go in and its relatively quiet they'll just pop a pre made Burger in the microwave and serve that (as long as it's hot I guess) and they're always soggy because of it.

 

If I go in when it's busy however, I get a fresh burger and everything is fine.

[ManwithSupra]

Im not really a fast food person, but out of the ones I have now and then (Mcdonalds, Burger king and Costa) Mcdonalds is the worst hands down.

Burgers need to be cooked over flame, not on a hot plate.

 

The meat patties are always springy and have a nasty iron like aftertaste, the burgers are always limp badly put together and squashed.

The Fries are soggy and very salty, their coffee resembels that of hot muddy water, the soft drinks are watered down and have so much ice put in them you dont actually get any of the taste.

The cheese they use must be the cheapest imitation cheese money can buy, it doesnt even taste like cheese.

 

The only thing I "like" from Mcdonalds is their sausage and egg bap thing, even so that leaves a nasty iron like taste in your mouth as well afterwards.

 

Their staff are mostly rude and usually riddled with infections, when you speak to the manager when something goes wrong (stone cold patty in this case) all you get is a 20 year odd mouthy little brat who thinks he is better than anyone else and will do anything other than give you your money back. No matter how many times he tells me that they will make you another one will it make any difference you little twot. I want my money back so I can go and get a sandwich or something from somewhere else that isnt riddled in campylobacter !!

[Dnk]

Not had any of the above for a long time

[MATT RR]

Not eaten a Maccy D's since a bad experience in August 2008, and don't intend to have one ever again! gets my vote

[Style]

I worked at McDonald's for 2 years when I was still at school. The cleanliness attitude in that place is horrendous. "If it looks clean, that'll do" on most of the work surfaces and I've seen food dropped then picked up and served as it's needed during a busy spell.

 

Their First Aid policy may be decent but it certainly wasn't followed in my store. One crew member slipped on the floor (not difficult, the place is a bloody skating rink at the best of times) and landed her entire forearm on the grill surface. Horrendous burn, the Store Manager was the 'First Aid Trained' member on shift at the time and what did she do? Iced it

[supra_ufo]

I worked at McDonald's for 2 years when I was still at school. The cleanliness attitude in that place is horrendous. "If it looks clean, that'll do" on most of the work surfaces and I've seen food dropped then picked up and served as it's needed during a busy spell.

 

Their First Aid policy may be decent but it certainly wasn't followed in my store. One crew member slipped on the floor (not difficult, the place is a bloody skating rink at the best of times) and landed her entire forearm on the grill surface. Horrendous burn, the Store Manager was the 'First Aid Trained' member on shift at the time and what did she do? Iced it

 

butter is the way forward lol

[evinX]

McDonalds, never have anything I want so Ive stopped trying. In N Out burger in LA is the best fast food joint ive ever been to in my life though

[hogmaw]

The only one of that list I've eaten from in the past 20 years is Subway, which is OK by me in so far as fast food is concerned in that you actually see what's going into what you're going to eat and you see it being made right in front of you.

 

I refuse to give my money to McDonalds & Starbucks etc because I disagree with their business practices, especially McDonald and they way they covet children so much

[Shane]

I can't stand Burger King. Service is always dire, painted on flame grilled taste and over priced in my opinion. We always used to fall into the Burger King trap when using Eurotunnel on the way out and always wished we hadn't of bothered and still had the cash in our pocket.

 

KFC comes a close second, use to love KFC but in the past few years it's just a sloppy mess and we just don't use it at all. Starbucks is overpriced nonsense. Subway is probably the best in your list imo.

 

Interesting what Man with Supra said about McD's Coffee. Since they started doing proper coffee instead of that disgusting US style stewed filter coffee they used to serve up I reckon that its the coffee that is McDs saving grace, as an expresso drinker I always think its as good as anywhere and a lot cheaper than all the trendy coffee places that are everywhere now.

[Hitbox Junkie]

burger king But I would still eat it

[Scott]

Burger king is the best fast food restaurant IMO. Really decent burgers and they've worked a lot on their fries over the years. The only let down from them for me is the price, it just keeps flying up at a ridiculous rate, way faster than inflation. You need to find a good one and stick with it too. On the whole I find most of them decent but on the odd occasion you find one where the staff really can't be bothered and it shows in the quality/freshness of the food. Their deals are sometimes good though. Not so sure about that black bun they were serving though

 

As for the worst I really struggled. I ended up opting for McDonalds but Starbucks was right up there too along with Pizza hut. McDonalds burgers are horrendously bad, I honestly don't know how they get away with serving them. The fact that people pay good money for them is beyond me, apparently it's the big mac sauce that makes it all worth it. The only thing I ever got from McD's when I was forced into the place due to circumstance was the 1/4 pounder, it was the only thing that tasted remotely like a burger..... although the fat dripping out of it was very off putting.

 

As for Pizza Hut I can honestly say that I'll never get another one. The pricing is just ridiculous, they should be wearing masks. When the pizza comes it tastes fried, as if the base itself is fried.... it's not right. I went to the buffet a few times and it was OK value. Not even second rate pizza, but enough to fill a hole.

 

Starbucks..... beyond belief for me. Some of the worst coffee I have tasted, as already mentioned, and yet it's the "hip" place to buy coffee. I don't mind Costa, the coffee there is OK but the extortionate pricing keeps me away. The crap coffee alone keeps me away from starbucks, even before there's a coin mentioned on it.

 

I like off the bone KFC, on the bone I'm not a fan of. They changed their chips too which was a huge mistake IMO. I still get a boneless bucket every now and again though

 

Subway is harmless enough, decent deals sometimes too. I don't like the fact that you get the same amount of meat on a 12" sub as you do a 6" sub though, that's just a rip off (Meatballs and potentially others are the exception).

[Swampy442]

KFC is the worst, only because the quality is so variable in my experience. Some times its lovely and juicy, other times dry and awful.

[Style]

Burger king is the best fast food restaurant IMO. Really decent burgers and they've worked a lot on their fries over the years. The only let down from them for me is the price, it just keeps flying up at a ridiculous rate, way faster than inflation. You need to find a good one and stick with it too. On the whole I find most of them decent but on the odd occasion you find one where the staff really can't be bothered and it shows in the quality/freshness of the food. Their deals are sometimes good though. Not so sure about that black bun they were serving though

 

As for the worst I really struggled. I ended up opting for McDonalds but Starbucks was right up there too along with Pizza hut. McDonalds burgers are horrendously bad, I honestly don't know how they get away with serving them. The fact that people pay good money for them is beyond me, apparently it's the big mac sauce that makes it all worth it. The only thing I ever got from McD's when I was forced into the place due to circumstance was the 1/4 pounder, it was the only thing that tasted remotely like a burger..... although the fat dripping out of it was very off putting.

 

As for Pizza Hut I can honestly say that I'll never get another one. The pricing is just ridiculous, they should be wearing masks. When the pizza comes it tastes fried, as if the base itself is fried.... it's not right. I went to the buffet a few times and it was OK value. Not even second rate pizza, but enough to fill a hole.

 

Starbucks..... beyond belief for me. Some of the worst coffee I have tasted, as already mentioned, and yet it's the "hip" place to buy coffee. I don't mind Costa, the coffee there is OK but the extortionate pricing keeps me away. The crap coffee alone keeps me away from starbucks, even before there's a coin mentioned on it.

 

I like off the bone KFC, on the bone I'm not a fan of. They changed their chips too which was a huge mistake IMO. I still get a boneless bucket every now and again though

 

Subway is harmless enough, decent deals sometimes too. I don't like the fact that you get the same amount of meat on a 12" sub as you do a 6" sub though, that's just a rip off (Meatballs and potentially others are the exception).

 

I was in a BK at a service station near Stirling I think it was and prices were touching a tenner for a standard run of the mill meal! Madness.

 

McDonald's burgers are just crap and weirdly enough the buns are the worst part of them. Even the salads there aren't exactly healthy.

[mc92]

I don't get fast food much but I'll rate them. Obviously they do vary in quality depending on the date/location but they're mostly consistent around here.

 

1 - KFC - The best one on this list. I love chicken and it tastes so good.

2 - Pizza Hut - The pizzas are often a bit too greasy for me but they taste good. A little expensive for what it is, there are much, much better non-franchised pizza shops for far less expense.

3 - Burger king - Don't like much of their food because it's mostly soggy mayonnaise soaked cardboard. I hate mayonnaise. The cheese and bacon burger is great though so they get points for that.

4 - McDonald's - Similar to BK, too much mayonnaise. Some of the things they sell are quite nice but I wouldn't go there when other choices are available.

5 - Subway - Edible but not great. I've only been once or twice.

Starbucks/Costa Coffee - I don't drink coffee so can't comment on their quality.

 

Obviously nothing beats a proper Fish and Chips so I'd get that if I was having fast food/takeaway

[tooquicktostop]

A lot depends on the team, many of these restaurants are now run as a franchise and not under direct "Brand management", this leads to wildly different standards between restaurants

 

I dont think any of them are much good but the well run franchises when you find one deliver the best the ingredients will allow

[j_jza80]

Costas biggest redeeming feature, as well as being a commonly available alternative to Starbucks, is that their machines in the services etc are fantastic.

[Chris Bailey]

I dont see what thr issue is! I love them all

 

Burger King and KFC are my favourites, although I do agree that Burger Kings customer service is pants.

 

The burgers are probably as good as a fast food place can get.

[SupraAyf]

Some cracking comments here. Thanks chaps. A few more poll votes would be great too. It looks like one out of the seven horses has bolted ahead of the rest by a long stretch. I'm not surprised in all honesty.

 

One of the things that should be restricted is the way some, particularly one of the brands mentioned target children. That being said, they need to target the kids of today or else they won't manipulate the next generation of adults to take their own children, and so on and so on. The chain continues and their profit lines survive for decades to come.

[creative]

Burger King

Never really ventured in BK or hungry jacks as they are called here. Not a fan of the burgers so never really had them.

 

Costa Coffee

 

Dont mind costa. A very good alternative for a main chain coffee store. I always had good service and coffee so cant complain.

 

KFC

 

I used to enjoy kfc. Since moving here though I havent touched it. Food was terrible service was just as bad and store wasnt very clean imo dont think I would ever venture back.

 

McDonald's

 

I like maccas! But then I have always ordered sometging that isnt on the menu and get it made fresh everytime. Maccas are very common here and every store is clean, well run and management are very helpful. One thing I dont like is the create your own menu. I have zero inclination to use a touch screen to make my own burger. I will go to the counter and speak to a person. A: I like to speak to someone, B: its quicker than having to scroll through pagesofwhat I dont want. I even walked out of one store when I couldnt pay by card at the counter, I HAD to use the touch screen if I wanted that, so I left and went down the road to the next one that had no such stupid rule in place!

 

Pizza Hut

 

I have alot of pizzahut as well. Its cheap as chips here, $6 for a large deep pan! ( less than £3 to you guys) quality is excellent and the stores are everywhere!

 

Starbucks

 

Never been a fan of starbucks. Coffee was always poor and service was average and now that we dont have any local shops... I dont use them.

 

Subway

 

Poor! Never liked the proccessed meats, never got the bread I want and generally not very nice. Poor staff and average stores and actually expensive here are enough to keep me away.

[SupraAyf]

 

McDonald's

 

I like maccas! But then I have always ordered sometging that isnt on the menu and get it made fresh everytime. Maccas are very common here and every store is clean, well run and management are very helpful. One thing I dont like is the create your own menu. I have zero inclination to use a touch screen to make my own burger. I will go to the counter and speak to a person. A: I like to speak to someone, B: its quicker than having to scroll through pagesofwhat I dont want. I even walked out of one store when I couldnt pay by card at the counter, I HAD to use the touch screen if I wanted that, so I left and went down the road to the next one that had no such stupid rule in place!

 

Pizza Hut

 

I have alot of pizzahut as well. Its cheap as chips here, $6 for a large deep pan! ( less than £3 to you guys) quality is excellent and the stores are everywhere!

 

Wow, £3 for a large pizza. That wouldn't get us three slices of salami over here, lol.

 

Your comment on the new customised McDonald's platform is interesting since the UK's McDonald's Franchisees were sold the new platform based on its apparent success in Australia. A new platform in the UK costs £250K per store on average and it's the Franchisees that have to pay the entire costs. They were well chuffed with that.

 

Call me fussy but I'm not that keen on the touch screen ordering systems and the PSP gaming stations in certain fast food places. Some of the guys (and children) who frequent some of these establishments are not exactly the cleanest of folk. I'm not stereotyping but you've got to admit that there are some 'grubsters' about these days.