: Mary, Scott is obviously working for a good McD franchise. There are a few of those out there. : As for the smaller communities, the independent restaurants and burger joints can still co-exist with McD's successfully if they "Try Harder". Y'know, do the little things, like keep spotless, well-stocked, and maintained restrooms, a clean as a whistle dining area, and pay attention to the quality and pallateability of their food. Offer chicken fried steak sandwiches, the best in the neck o' the woods, something McD's doesn't offer, ...yet. And serve real ice cream instead of soft serve (Soft serve is not bad, but real ice cream is a nice change of pace.). These things, which will make the public notice!!!
: The notion that the big boys are bad for small business is a load of crap. If the owners just give it up, and let it go downhill, and then blame the McD's franchise, then losing their business serves them right, as cold and cruel and hate-mail generating as that sounds. Perhaps it will be a wake-up call.
: In closing, there are much worse things than McD's.
Plenty of friendly, spotless, well-stocked, small-town independent restaurants go under each year, thanks to McDonald's ability to brainwash successive generations with saturation advertising. Traveling around this country, it is obvious that McDonald's and other chain restaurants have devastated regional cultures, barring a few stubborn holdouts such as southern Louisiana. I guess thermonuclear war, Ebola virus, AIDS encephalopathy, and famine are worse than McDonald's, but I can't think of too many other things.
None.
