Day 044 - 02 Nov 94 - Page 23
1 and what kind of experience you can receive at McDonald's.
2
3 Q. But, in general, you have rejected, have you not, as a
4 Corporation, the diversification and indigenous food
5 approach; is that correct?
6 A. Well, in general terms.
7
8 Q. In favour of promoting the core menu in every country?
9 A. In general terms. I am not familiar with what we do in
10 every country.
11
12 Q. No, but-----
13 A. But, in general terms, I am aware that there are some
14 products in some restaurants in some countries that are a
15 bit different than other products in other countries. But
16 I agree with you that, in general, McDonald's has a core
17 menu, or at least McDonald's stands for a particular menu,
18 and that is the menu that we will communicate in the
19 countries where we are, and the consumer at that point can
20 partake of it or not.
21
22 Q. So in those countries where there is not a tradition of
23 eating hamburgers or beef, for example, your department has
24 an important role to play? Obviously, your department has
25 an important role to play in every country, but there would
26 be a specific important role?
27 A. Again, it would not necessarily be my department, and
28 I cannot talk about any particular country, but if we start
29 in a country, we obviously want to communicate to that
30 country the menu that we have.
31
32 Q. You say you have visited the Japanese branch of McDonald's
33 eight to ten times; is that correct?
34 A. Yes.
35
36 Q. You know Den Fujita?
37 A. Yes. I visited the country, probably it was around the
38 late 1980s. I do not believe I have been there for about
39 four or five years, but I made some regular trips.
40
41 Q. At that time?
42 A. At that time, yes.
43
44 MR. MORRIS: If I can quote to you a section of that John Love
45 book, on page 428. I do not know if everyone wants to get
46 it or whether I can just quote it? Page 428. I think
47 those pages are actually available.
48
49 MR. RAMPTON: I did hand up, my Lord, I think yesterday, a copy
50 of some of the pages, including 428.
51
52 MR. MORRIS: (To the witness) If you look at halfway down 428,
53 before we get to the last paragraph, the last sentence
54 says: "'Japan was really the acid test,' Turner says."
55 Turner is the Chairman of McDonald's, is he?
56 A. He is the -- I believe his title is the Senior Chairman
57 now.
58
59 Q. How many chairmen do you have?
60 A. Well, we have a Senior Chairman, Mr. Turner, and then
