Living in the UK, we have had a long time to experience McDonalds.
I first tried it back in 1982, I would pop in there for a fillet of fish or a ’hamburger’(dont know if they actually have ham in them as I believe they are named for the place
HAMBURG not the meat) and a black coffee.
It seemed like good value at the time. Having married and produced a family since that time , we have experienced the eating out as a Family phenomenon.
Firstly one must queue for service and wait to collect the order , there is no waiter / waitress service.
It can be a long wait at busy times.
One can hear popular music played over speakers the whole time.
The tables are cleaned between use , the toilets are clean but not always in working order.
The handwashing facilities sometimes do not work.
The employees are usually between 16 and 20 years old , they wear baseball type caps , uniform shirts and trousers. Usually they are very helpful and polite.
McDonalds fries are thin and usually coated in salt without ones consent.
Thin odd cardboardy tasting ’beef’ burgers and large cups of fizzy drink to make you feel full are packed into a box with Soggy strands of lettuce, burnt onions and mayonaise, all arranged in a bread bun.
I believe the chicken is so tasteless because it has been allowed to dry out so much.
My son instantly developed a rash from the mayonaise if it touched his skin.
My daughter refused to eat the burgers because of BSE (mad cow disease) and so we would stand waiting while the fillet of fish was prepared , because there were never any ready and waiting.
I can understand people taking their children there for a little treat occassionally when they are out shopping .
The happy meals are cheap compared to other types of take away outlets , the portions are about right for up to 7 years old, the child can ask for milk and fruit , the toy is usually changed weekly so not as much chance of receiving the same one as last time.
Im afraid I would rather make sandwiches at home , put a drink in a washed out bottle or a thermos flask and go have a picnic in the park .