McDonald’s Responds After Trump’s French Fries-Serving Stunt Draws Political Spotlight
The leading food service brand McDonald’s, which is famous for its fast food came into the limelight due to some bizarre incident. The presence of former President Donald Trump at the food outlet made some headlines. The former president appeared at Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, not because of any intention of munching something, but to serve the French fries to people. The news raised eyebrows due to the soon-to-be-held elections this year. However, the food giant denied that it had to do anything with the former president’s visit and that he visited there on his own.
Now, this may raise the question about the authority of any food chain organization to hold any such event like this one. Most of the restaurants of the fast food giant are operating under a franchise model and are run independently everywhere. Although, they have to observe the rules and the guidelines laid down by the management, holding such events in which the political figures appear in public places is something, for which they are being given free will and is at their discretion. So, they don’t depend on the company headquarters to grant them permission for these political events.
McDonald’s clears stand on Trump’s visit to its outlet
In an internal memo sent to employees, which was obtained by CNN, McDonald’s explained that it had neither invited Trump nor sought political attention. However, the company highlighted that the incident shows McDonald’s remains an integral part of everyday American life.
“As we’ve seen, our brand has become part of the election conversation. While this wasn’t something we pursued, it’s a testament to how McDonald’s resonates with so many Americans,” the memo described. Keeping a distance from taking stands or oppose any party, it reiterated its stand on politics which is neutral. It also stated, “McDonald’s does not endorse any political candidates. We are not red or blue—we are golden.”
This memo was signed by McDonald’s President Joe Erlinger and other key executives, including the CFO and national field president.
Mixed reactions from the employees and the customers
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/rA5FwAQWFy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2024
However, the reactions from the customers and the company employees were interestingly mixed, with many even opposing the idea of holding any campaign at such a food stop, thronged by customers all day. However, McDonald’s was quite impressed with the kind of appreciation the former President showed towards the fast-food restaurant chain. The event went smoothly as Trump was seen donning an apron and even served customers as any other fry attendant would do. The restaurant where this event took place was a closed one.
The memo further explained that the owner of the franchise, Derek Giacomantonio, was approached by local law enforcement about Trump’s request to visit. Giacomantonio agreed, viewing it as an opportunity to showcase how he and his team serve their community.
“He was proud to highlight how his team delivers quality service and serves iconic food, like our World-Famous French Fries,” the memo stated. “When we learned about the former president’s request, we approached the situation with one of our core values in mind: we open our doors to everyone.”
The successful business model
The Franchise model on which McDonald’s runs is the hallmark of the fast food chain and is critical to its smooth working as it serves as the basic model. This model is the secret of McDonald’s’ success, with about 95% of all the company locations being handled by franchisees. These operators pay royalties to use the McDonald’s name and benefit from its global expertise, while also covering additional costs such as restaurant renovations.
Despite enjoying a smooth running in its operations, the food chain has had to face backlash in Muslim countries after some social media posts regarding its functioning in Israel, started to appear in these countries. Some franchisees of McDonalds had started to offer discounts to the Israeli soldiers which was right after the Hamas attack on Israel. This probably irked the people in the Muslim-majority countries and hence the call for boycott began in these countries. This was cited as the reason for the company’s losses of revenues over several quarters.
Similarly, last year Starbucks faced criticism from its union after reports emerged online that some stores were banning Pride displays. Although the company officially supports LGBTQ+ rights and had no policy against such displays, it later clarified its stance after some franchisees allegedly restricted the decorations.
McDonald’s, too, indicated that it has “election toolkits” to help franchises navigate similar situations during politically charged times.
