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50 years ago McDonald's opened in Woolwich

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  • usetobunkin
    usetobunkin Posts: 2,184
    I worked in the the OKR , in late 80s early 90s and on Saturday morning we used to dispatch an apprentice to do the McDonalds breakfast run. 
    The apprentice was chosen on a rotating basis. 
    One of the cheekiest monkeys chosen used to have an order for about 8/9 Big Breakfast plus McMuffin and Pancakes. 
    When you gave him the money you had to give it exactly as the chance of getting any change was pretty minimal. 
    But while collecting and returning the food he would often open up the breakfasts and eat one of the items from each meal. 
    We had to physically restrain one of our colleagues from putting the mischievous apprentice head first into the brake riveting machine. 
    When ever I think about McDonalds this slice of Old Kent Rd culture drifts into my mind’s eye.
  • What year did Maccy D’s open in Eltham , was it Burtons before then ?
    never liked it probably 40 years since my last sober Mcd burger, I do like the sausage and egg breakfast muffin (no cheese thanks) 
    The Eltham Wimpy or Eltham Grill would have been our Friday night eat out treat if we didn’t go to and get takeaway fish & chips from Mottingham
  • JaShea99
    JaShea99 Posts: 5,458
    Sevensix said:
    I remember the local advertising for this exciting new kind of 'family restaurant' that was about to arrive in the UK via Woolwich.  I went look at the place and its menu on the opening day and was unimpressed.  
    What were you expecting out of interest? 
  • Off_it
    Off_it Posts: 28,845
    JaShea99 said:
    Sevensix said:
    I remember the local advertising for this exciting new kind of 'family restaurant' that was about to arrive in the UK via Woolwich.  I went look at the place and its menu on the opening day and was unimpressed.  
    What were you expecting out of interest? 
    A knowledgeable sommelier. And crisp white tablecloths.
  • I remember reading an interview with the American manager on that opening day.
    He said he had 6 tills open, but when they opened the doors the customers all formed an orderly queue behind one till.
    Despite increasingly desperate calls from the other 5 tills of "Can I help you", us Brits were all too bashful to be seen ' queue jumping' as we saw it.
    Said it took quite a while for us to get the hang of it..
    Don't think they would have that problem if they were starting now.
  • golfaddick
    golfaddick Posts: 33,628
    Never the same since they stopped doing root beer. 
  • I remember travelling up by train from Dartford the week it opened to see what it was like, must have made an impression as I think I only had 3 or 4 since.
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
  • swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
    Why? I bet they have figures for average burger consumption per customer over time, or should have to better understand market demand.
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  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,599
    swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
    and udderly pointless 
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
  • clive
    clive Posts: 19,454
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    That's not a poultry figure.
  • cafcpolo
    cafcpolo Posts: 3,811
    clive said:
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    That's not a poultry figure.
    An eggceptional amount!
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They know the meat content and weight of the burgers they order, how many they sell, and customer demand, so it ought to be possible to extrapolate based on the average weight of a cow going to slaughter.  I guess not many want to know, but they need to for supply chain management.
  • swordfish said:
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They know the meat content and weight of the burgers they order, how many they sell, and customer demand, so it ought to be possible to extrapolate based on the average weight of a cow going to slaughter.  I guess not many want to know, but they need to for supply chain management.
    The point was publishing it would be weird, of course they know. 
  • swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    Yeh, they keep them under the counter with the giveaway pin badges with the names of the cows we've eaten.
    I've got Daisy and Buttercup. Hoping for a Primrose  ;)
  • Dippenhall
    Dippenhall Posts: 3,919
    What I remember was the fuss about the piece of dill pickle, an attack on the British taste buds at the time. Mums asked for burgers without pickle for their kids and staff said no, take it out yourself. Public outcry later resulted in pickle being optional.
  • CAFCTrev
    CAFCTrev Posts: 5,978
    edited November 2024
    What I remember was the fuss about the piece of dill pickle, an attack on the British taste buds at the time. Mums asked for burgers without pickle for their kids and staff said no, take it out yourself. Public outcry later resulted in pickle being optional.
    My mum was always fond of a bit of DP in her burger. 
  • swordfish said:
    swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
    Why? I bet they have figures for average burger consumption per customer over time, or should have to better understand market demand.
    1. Because cows are not universal in size.
    2. They won't know how many customers they have served (they may have details of transactions, but that doesn't correlate with consumption per capita). 
    3. Even if they did, why would they publish it?
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  • seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They are actually chickens you know...

    I like mine in a wrap with Chilli.
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,843
    swordfish said:
    swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
    Why? I bet they have figures for average burger consumption per customer over time, or should have to better understand market demand.
    1. Because cows are not universal in size.
    2. They won't know how many customers they have served (they may have details of transactions, but that doesn't correlate with consumption per capita). 
    3. Even if they did, why would they publish it?

    Estimates put it at 60-70k cows per day.
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    edited November 2024
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They are actually chickens you know...

    I like mine in a wrap with Chilli.
    Chickens may be smaller than cows,  but they're also variable in size and data for them is readily made available in a unit (animal) per person form, averaged out. I was just looking for an equivalent number for cow consumption, but happy to moo've on.
  • Chunes
    Chunes Posts: 17,349
    swordfish said:
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They are actually chickens you know...

    I like mine in a wrap with Chilli.
    Chickens may be smaller than cows,  but they're also variable in size and data for them is readily made available in a unit (animal) per person form, averaged out. I was just looking for an equivalent number for cow consumption, but happy to moo've on.
    42
  • What year did Maccy D’s open in Eltham , was it Burtons before then ?
    never liked it probably 40 years since my last sober Mcd burger, I do like the sausage and egg breakfast muffin (no cheese thanks) 
    The Eltham Wimpy or Eltham Grill would have been our Friday night eat out treat if we didn’t go to and get takeaway fish & chips from Mottingham
    Agree, Eltham Grill was always a great treat 
    Hope it’s still going 
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    Chunes said:
    swordfish said:
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They are actually chickens you know...

    I like mine in a wrap with Chilli.
    Chickens may be smaller than cows,  but they're also variable in size and data for them is readily made available in a unit (animal) per person form, averaged out. I was just looking for an equivalent number for cow consumption, but happy to moo've on.
    42
    Sauce? 😉
  • Greenhithe
    Greenhithe Posts: 780
    edited November 2024
    I used to go to a very weird unofficial youth club thing in Dartford (turns out it was nonce central but that’s another story). And we went on a special trip in 1977 to the Woolwich McDonalds. All got in a minibus for our taste of America. I was beyond excited. 

    I hate the place now but it’s a necessary evil at times.  
  • bobmunro
    bobmunro Posts: 20,843
    swordfish said:
    seth plum said:
    I don’t know if it is possible to extrapolate a comparison, but 1.11 billion ‘chickens’ were slaughtered in the UK for human consumption in 2023.
    Thats about 16 for every man woman and child in the country, or averages out at more or less one and a third ‘chickens’ per person every month.
    They are actually chickens you know...

    I like mine in a wrap with Chilli.
    Chickens may be smaller than cows,  but they're also variable in size and data for them is readily made available in a unit (animal) per person form, averaged out. I was just looking for an equivalent number for cow consumption, but happy to moo've on.

    Unbelievable Giant Chicken Breaks World Record
  • swordfish
    swordfish Posts: 4,234
    bobmunro said:
    swordfish said:
    swordfish said:
    Do they publish historical records giving the average number of cows eaten per customer since it opened I wonder? 
    No. That would be weird.
    Why? I bet they have figures for average burger consumption per customer over time, or should have to better understand market demand.
    1. Because cows are not universal in size.
    2. They won't know how many customers they have served (they may have details of transactions, but that doesn't correlate with consumption per capita). 
    3. Even if they did, why would they publish it?

    Estimates put it at 60-70k cows per day.
    I don't have a feel for the figure, but that looks high for Woolwich alone 😉 The chicken figure Seth quoted feels low though, but I'm basing that on my own preference for organically reared expensive poultry having almost eliminated beef and lamb from my diet.  
  • DA9
    DA9 Posts: 11,091