# Mcdonalds (Over A Billion Served) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162 "2003-07-31T16:33:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/1 "2003-07-31T16:33:09Z")
I remember being a kid and seeing Mcdonalds sign saying “Over a million served” how to they calculate how many are served? Now it’s up to a billion?!?! I don’t even at at Mcdonalds. YUK! ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/2 "2003-07-31T17:03:14Z")
I remember as a little kid seeing the McDonald’s sign and it had the number served and I thought it meant for each individual McDonald’s and I was trying to wrap my little 6 year old mind around that. 🙂 BTW…I ate at McDonald’s yesterday for sheer convenience and ordered one of those semi-new grilled chicken salads and it was absolutely great. It was yummy. Wish I had one right now… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/3 "2003-07-31T17:45:55Z")
I remember when their sign said “Two dozen people can’t be wrong.” How old are you kids anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/4 "2003-07-31T17:53:39Z")
I wonder if it was “customers” served or “hamburgers” served. Either way, that’s a lot o’ servin’ goin’ on. I worked at McDonald’s in 1972. We had to wear dorky dresses and dorky paper hats. And hair nets. And we took orders by writing on a pad of paper. We double-bagged to keep the food warm in the winter. Now they don’t give a shit if it’s cold when they hand it to you. Ahhhh. Burger memories. Ya gotta love it. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/5 "2003-07-31T18:27:06Z")
Going from a [McDonald’s Timeline](http://www.media.mcdonalds.com/secured/company/history/timeline/), I suspect they’re referring to the number of burgers served to customers, as their milestones are “500 million sold” “billion sold” “2.5 billion sold”, et cetera. How do they know how many they’ve sold? That’s a good question. They may estimate based on average sales per store, or they may infer based on amount of patties ordered by each store less the average waste, or they may simply track each Big Mac sold with a huge counter on the wall at McDonalds headquarters, incrementing with each. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/6 "2003-07-31T18:30:49Z")
Burger = 18¢ Fries= 15¢ Soft Drink = 12¢ Milk Shake = 25¢ Now _those_ are M[sup]c[/sup]Donald’s memories. I haven’t voluntarily purchased their food in almost 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/7 "2003-07-31T18:36:23Z")
I’m not much of a fan either unless I’ve got a hangover and I’m looking for something I wouldn’t mind throwing up later. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/8 "2003-07-31T18:40:06Z")
I’ve seen those that simply say “billions and billions sold” rather than specifying any number. ---
**Author:** ![lovelyluka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f475e1/32.png) [@lovelyluka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelyluka)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/9 "2003-07-31T18:52:47Z")
I work at a medical research facility and the sole restaurant (besides the cafeteria, that is) in the medical center plaza is a McDonalds. When I got here, I thought, “Ewww, I guess I’ll have to bring my lunch every day.” But then I was drawn in. I couldn’t help it; there was some dark, inescapable force that pulled me into its grasp every day. There was always dozens of helpless nurses in scrubs and doctors in lab coats, with an embarrassed “I know this is bad, but I can’t help it” expression on their face. And long lines. Always long lines. That’s how they got up to that billion served, folks. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/10 "2003-07-31T19:33:19Z")
One of the older McDonald’s locations around here has had their sign reading “Over 99 Billion Served” for at least the past 10-15 years. Either they stopped keeping track after that, or this particular McDonald’s has its own little version of a Y2K-like problem and has never bothered to change it (i.e adjusting the sign to accomodate a hundreds place). ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/11 "2003-07-31T20:04:04Z")
Thank goodness M[sup]c[/sup]Donald’s can’t hire Carl Sagan to say, “Billions and billions …” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/12 "2003-07-31T20:12:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\* > I haven’t voluntarily purchased their food in almost 20 years. \*\* Just out of curiosity – what sort of duress is involved in an _involuntary_ McDonalds purchase? ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/13 "2003-07-31T20:18:50Z")
Why does Mcdonalds always salt their fries? They don’t salt any of the other food. Do you know how much fat is in their food? ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/14 "2003-07-31T20:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*Just out of curiosity – what sort of duress is involved in an _involuntary_ McDonalds purchase? \*\* Well, I can think of one kind – Me: Kids! Dinner! Kids: What did you bring? AWWW, we wanted Wendy’s! Me: Tough. McDonald’s is on my way home. McDonald’s sucks – especially their fries. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/15 "2003-07-31T20:30:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > \*\*Just out of curiosity – what sort of duress is involved in an _involuntary_ McDonalds purchase? \*\* In my case, usually being on a long car trip with other people who want to stop there. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/16 "2003-07-31T20:37:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by twickster \* > Just out of curiosity – what sort of duress is involved in an _involuntary_ McDonalds purchase? 1. 1991: At the Frankfurt airport on my way home from spending months in Europe. Flat broke, very hungry and generously offered some food by a kind fellow traveler. I accepted without asking what sort (which I would never do) and was trotted off to the M[sup]c[/sup]Donald’s downstairs. Out of pure desperation, I blindly flailed about for something different and tried their M[sup]c[/sup]Rib sandwich. What a mistake that was. Somehow, tomatoey cardboard just didn’t cut the mustard (as it were). 2. 1999: I was doing the setup and photography for my friends’ wedding and the caterers had yet to arrive. I hadn’t had breakfast and the bride’s son was sent out for food. Again, I didn’t specify anything (not my style under such circumstances) and the wanker came back with bags of M[sup]c[/sup] Donald’s burgers and fries. The next food wouldn’t appear for two hours and the nearest restaurant was many miles away, so there wasn’t much choice. No purchasing involved, just involuntary consumption. I refuse to pay money for their rubbish ever again. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/17 "2003-07-31T21:13:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Isabelle \* > \*\*Why does Mcdonalds always salt their fries? They don’t salt any of the other food. > > Do you know how much fat is in their food? \*\* A) There’s tons of salt in their burgers. It’s already in the meat patties, I believe. B) Fries without salt aren’t worth eating. C) Most (it should be all) locations have the info on fat and nutrition, if you ask for it ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/18 "2003-08-01T00:30:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*A) There’s tons of salt in their burgers. It’s already in the meat patties, I believe. \*\* a shake from a special container containing 86 percent salt and 14 percent pepper. done correctly, not too much, but more than i prefer. only in the meat after cooking, you can order beef and fish sandwiches without seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/19 "2003-08-01T01:26:11Z")
One of the old _Imponderables_ books confirmed that they are, in fact, counting hamburger patties. That means that a Big Mac counts twice, and chicken or fish don’t count at all. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162/20 "2003-08-01T01:40:41Z")
McObstacle. Billions swerved. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-over-a-billion-served/192162.md?page=2)