ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 16, 1997 TAG: 9703140010
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL THE ROANOKE TIMES
Everybody has his or her own opinion about fast food. But readers who responded to the newspaper's InfoLine fast-food question were largely pro-Burger King and disillusioned with the Golden Arches. Except Jason Byrd, of course.
Sometimes, says Jason Byrd of Radford, you just have to disregard nutrition and health hype and give in to nostalgia.
"McDonald's is the all-American burger," he said. "They rock and roll."
Byrd, 22, remembers childhood trips to McDonald's, after Saturday grocery shopping outings with his mom. Seeing the Golden Arches, he said, brightened his whole day.
"Growing up here in America, it just becomes part of your lifestyle," he said.
He and his roommates eat fast food nearly every day. He tries to hit McDonald's at least once a week. Usual meal: Big Mac and fries.
Healthy? Nah. But he's not too concerned.
He wishes McDonald's good luck with the chain's plans for a 55-cent sandwich promotion beginning next month, which he thinks will attract customers. "If they can do it and still make money, they should go for it," he said.
Byrd called The Roanoke Times in response to a request for reader opinion about fast food in general, and in particular about McDonald's new price promotion. We received nearly 60 telephone responses and another dozen or so via e-mail. Here's a sampling of what you told us:
McDonald's might always be the first choice of kids - and, thus, their parents - on Saturday-afternoon shopping trips. Apparently, you just can't beat those Happy Meal toys.
"Sometimes we go to McDonald's because of the Happy Meal promotion," wrote Susan Ariew of Blacksburg. "Our kids like the toys and promotions from McDonald's, so they pressure us into stopping there. But it's never for the food, just the toys. For example, when they were giving away Power Rangers, we couldn't eat anywhere else when we went for fast food. Just had to have those Power Rangers. Otherwise, it's still Burger King all the way."
Other parents said they give in to demands for toys - but still have it their way when it comes to food.
"McDonald's generally has better toys than Burger King," wrote the Davis family of Pulaski. "Lately, we've been going to McDonald's and buying just the toy, then going to Burger King to eat and play on the indoor playground."
Pam Bolling of Roanoke wrote that McDonald's is the only place her family goes - but then admitted they might be a bit prejudiced.
"This is the place my children prefer, no matter what the toy is in the Happy Meal," she wrote.
She thinks the 55-cent promotion is a good idea. "Not only will it help families save money on a family night out, it makes it affordable so that mom can get out of the kitchen. Anytime I can get out of the kitchen cheaply is a good enough reason for me. And when my kids will eat what is served to them, it is another plus."
But her husband works for a company that manufactures restaurant equipment - and he sells exclusively to McDonald's.
"So all those Happy Meals put a roof over our head and food on the table," she said. "We never switch fast-food alliance - McDonald's supports our family and many others."
Among the adults who responded to our question, Burger King was the overwhelming favorite. Most cited the 99-cent Whopper deal.
Taste and quality are about the same at Burger King, Wendy's and McDonald's, said Dorothy Gooch of Dublin. But the Whopper comes through with quantity.
"It's a good-size - and I mean it's much bigger than any burger that McDonald's puts out - a good size-burger," she said. "It's broiled, it has tomatoes, lettuce, the whole nine yards, for a dollar."
A Salemite, who didn't leave his name, agreed. "The Big Macs have gotten so small the guys at work have nicknamed 'em 'silver dollars,'" he said. He used to be a McDonald's customer, the man said, until the sandwich's price approached $2. Now he goes almost exclusively to Burger King for the 99-cent Whopper.
Pat Jasper of Buchanan remembers fondly the days of 15-cent hamburgers and milkshakes. "I lived on that when I was in summer school, in college," she said.
But now she prefers Burger King and Hardee's.
"I avoid McDonald's," she said. "If there's only a McDonald's around, I get back on the road and keep on going."
Others bemoaned the lack of healthy - or at least less blatantly bad for you - choices at fast food restaurants in general.
"What we need in the fast-food industry is more less-fat and vegetable stuff," said Bonnie Nelson of Roanoke, who frequents Taco Bell. "It's hard to find except for the green beans at Hardee's and the vegetable fajitas at Taco Bell."
That's why Herb Detweiler of Roanoke patronizes Wendy's.
"There's a much more adult clientele at Wendy's," he said. He eats there almost every day, and he usually orders the salad bar. It's expensive - he figures he pays twice as much as he would at McDonald's or Burger King - but he doesn't go there for the price. Perhaps, he said, that's why Wendy's attracts an older crowd. "Maybe the kids go where they can get a cheap sandwich."
Overall, respondents didn't seem to think McDonald's Campaign 55 would bring that old shine back to the Golden Arches. It's too much to expect customers to buy a high-priced drink and french fries, they said.
The promotion goes right along with the company's Arch Deluxe idea, Gooch said: "It's much ado about nothing."
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Gene Dalton. Jason Byrd says he and his roommates eatby CNBfast food nearly every day. He tries to hit McDonald's, his
favorite, at least once a week. Usual meal: Big Mac and fries. color
GraphicL Chart by staff: Want fries with that burger? color. KEYWORDS: MGR