McDonalds to sell ownership of Taiwan franchise

[quote=“bigduke6”]
I would think the real estate market will climb somemore, now that Mainlanders can buy property, and pay by credit card.[/quote]

I would love to see the stats on how many houses are being bought by mainlanders in Taiwan.

I know in Canada they have pretty much bought up Vancouver and locals are up in arms about being priced out of their own country.

I’ve read about a new theory.

news.housefun.com.tw/news/articl … 00878.html

The rise of the new and glamourous McCafe themed McDonalds shows McDonalds’ strategy in Taiwan for the past few decade. They are more invested and making more money in real estate than selling food. The article says 90% of McDonalds’ profit comes from real estate here in Taiwan. McDonalds would invest in newly developed areas and often be the first store to open. They don’t just own the land they sit on, but also land around it. Through carefully crafted business image, having an McDonalds around becomes a real estate selling point. Not just for residential areas, but also the amount of crowds it draws increases business rental fee, and helps McDonalds earn a bigger profit with nearby lands that they own.

That will all change when the “Real estate and real property Combined Tax” comes into play next year. The new act aims to raise taxes on land owners who don’t intend to use the land themselves, in hopes of curbing real estate investors in hopes of creating a more reasonable housing market. House owners who plan to use and live in their property will likely enjoy lower tax and cheaper housing price.

It would mean McDonalds’ current model would be far less profitable in Taiwan. That’s probably why this is the timing for them to pull out.

I thought all MacD’s were franchises like 7-11? I think they are in the UK

yes! funny that. the Mexican pizza from pizza hut is actually pretty damn good. it’s one of my weaknesses and when it’s raining, too lazy to go out, etc. call them and get the buy 1 large, free small take out delivery deal. but have to wake up 30 min earlier the next morning before work…if you catch my drift[/quote]

That is also my favorite things to do on the weekend when I am lazy, but I go to pick up my own pizza because then you get buy one get one free large size instead of the small. And I only ever get Mexican.

The problem is I eat too much, and I am unable to sleep well the following day. I think it is just the excessive amount of salt I consume in one sitting.[/quote]

pizza is one of those foods that you can eat as much as you want when you’re young, but oh boy, you struggle a bit as you get older.

goes straight to the stomach doesn’t it!

This is bad news for me. As a food allergy sufferer, I am secure in the knowlege that McDonald’s has separate fryers for its fish, Chicken and fries. The oils are not mixed. One thing KFC can’t even claim. I find their hygiene above average.

If McDonald’s goes under that … what’s that Taiwanese philosophy… just good enough… I am doomed. McDonald is the only restaurant other than vegetarian that I can eat at while traveling. I’ve been sent on a round the island hospital tour for trying other restaurants that claim there is no fish or seafood contamination. Please don’t let this be true…

taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 2003621507

I’m still waiting for Taco bell. They have them in Japan and Korea…but not Taiwan…

McDonald’s is leaving? Da da da da daah - I’m lovin’ it! :discodance:

They’ll just be managed by another company here; the restaurants won’t be leaving. Too much of a money maker.

Well, you can prepare your own food at home and use premium ingredients and I doubt you’d have allergy problems. And the hygiene level will be as clean or dirty as you want.

Well, you can prepare your own food at home and use premium ingredients and I doubt you’d have allergy problems. And the hygiene level will be as clean or dirty as you want.[/quote]

Excuse me…? You’ve seen my posts where I nearly died several times due to stupid negligence that would not happen in the west. And you will be quick to discount the one chain that I can get a safe meal?!

Cook at home. McDonald is not my main source of food but the safest alternative when traveling.
You are in the mall, department store or what ever. Your party is enjoying any of the food court stands. You can’t . Even if you order a non seafood meal, the pan ends up contaminated.

You are at a hotel buffet for breakfast. You choose the vegetarian items with rice porridge. You end up going to the hospital because some idiot uses the same spoon to scoop out the fish song (Song- dried shredded pork or sometimes fish that Taiwanese use as a topping on rice dishes. I love the pork song) to also scoop up the peanuts.
I go to McDonald’s… I can get a safe fried chicken sandwich or a piece of chicken and French Fries.
Do you know I can’t even get French Fries at any other local diner or restaurant since most use one fryer for both fish and the other stuff.
Mr Blaquesmith for your suggestion to mean anything, you yourself my not eat at any food establishment in Taiwan at all. Because besides two or three national chains (if I watch them like a hawk when they prepared things) 7-11 and the vegetarian restaurant I’m out of luck. And you know the vegetarian restaurants are open limited hours and are not always available while traveling.

Every restaurant cross contaminates. They also love to put fish in almost every sauce including BBQ sauce for chicken and beef.

Do you actually propose I pack and keep my food with me in the hot sun when I go out for the day or travel?
If you do that in practice … I will listen and learn. If you have great safe traveling meals that I can do… I will also listen and learn.

[quote=“Taiwan_Student”]

Excuse me…? You’ve seen my posts where I nearly died several times due to stupid negligence that would not happen in the west. And you will be quick to discount the one chain that I can get a safe meal?! … I will also listen and learn.[/quote]
Yikes, that must be seriously tough =(

In my experience restaurants that are taken over will swear up and down that everything is the same, but what they really mean is “same, same, but different.”
Please proceed with caution. If you try Mickey D’s after the change, maybe try one right next to a hospital :frowning:

Well, you can prepare your own food at home and use premium ingredients and I doubt you’d have allergy problems. And the hygiene level will be as clean or dirty as you want.[/quote]

Excuse me…? You’ve seen my posts where I nearly died several times due to stupid negligence that would not happen in the west. And you will be quick to discount the one chain that I can get a safe meal?!

Cook at home. McDonald is not my main source of food but the safest alternative when traveling.
You are in the mall, department store or what ever. Your party is enjoying any of the food court stands. You can’t . Even if you order a non seafood meal, the pan ends up contaminated.

You are at a hotel buffet for breakfast. You choose the vegetarian items with rice porridge. You end up going to the hospital because some idiot uses the same spoon to scoop out the fish song (Song- dried shredded pork or sometimes fish that Taiwanese use as a topping on rice dishes. I love the pork song) to also scoop up the peanuts.
I go to McDonald’s… I can get a safe fried chicken sandwich or a piece of chicken and French Fries.
Do you know I can’t even get French Fries at any other local diner or restaurant since most use one fryer for both fish and the other stuff.
Mr Blaquesmith for your suggestion to mean anything, you yourself my not eat at any food establishment in Taiwan at all. Because besides two or three national chains (if I watch them like a hawk when they prepared things) 7-11 and the vegetarian restaurant I’m out of luck. And you know the vegetarian restaurants are open limited hours and are not always available while traveling.

Every restaurant cross contaminates. They also love to put fish in almost every sauce including BBQ sauce for chicken and beef.

Do you actually propose I pack and keep my food with me in the hot sun when I go out for the day or travel?
If you do that in practice … I will listen and learn. If you have great safe traveling meals that I can do… I will also listen and learn.[/quote]

No, I don’t follow all your posts, and your sentence somehow makes it seem like it’s my fault for not reading all your forum posts about your allergies earlier.

I know some people with extreme allergies, and they are used to travel. One of this dudes, friend of my brother, has severe allergies, and when he went to Thailand was basically surviving on some fruit (he’s allergic to anything green) and white rice. But he travelled and enjoyed the trip. Inconvenient? Sure thing, but he knows he’s allergic to nuts, any green vegetables and fruits, and a couple more things. He can’t be picky.

I wouldn’t define McDonald’s as healthy, but if their ingredients go well with your allergies, I guess that’s OK for you. However, if you want to pack your own food, it’s doable. There are foods that don’t get spoiled by heat or humidity. Try cured meat sandwiches, with proper bread. you pack them wrapped in aluminium foil and put them inside a zipper bag, and you’re good to go. We used to go hiking, and these kind of sandwiches can remain good for a day and a half (although the bread might get a little bit spongy if the humidity is high). Fruit will stay well for a couple of days at least. You can boil pasta, wash it with cold water after doing so, and sprinkle it with olive oil. Mix in some boiled corn grains, pickles, diced bell pepper and tomatoes, add some black pepper, salt and vinegar, and you’ll have an awesome pasta salad that will stay well for at least two days if put in an airtight tupperware (so the insects can’t enter). If you’re not allergic to tune, you could add canned tuna in brine or oil too (minus the brine or oil, the ones they use aren’t specially healthy for direct consumption, olive oil is much better).

@Taiwan_Student
You can either buy better quality frozen food, or cook your own meals and shock-freeze them.
Get a special bag that keeps it frozen/cool till you arrive somewhere to eat.
Then asked the restaurant to heat it up for you.
Prepare a letter in Chinese telling them that you have life threatening allergies.
Include some extra instructions on how to choose pots and plates.
Include some reimbursement.

The guy said he likes McDonalds occasionally because of allergies and you give him instructions for making sandwiches, cold pasta and some thoughts about how refrigeration preserves food. :laughing:

I didn’t eat McDonalds (as far as I remember) until I was 23, in Bangkok. It was AMAZING. No, it’s not good for me, but once in a while, it doesn’t kill you.

[quote=“Ermintrude”]The guy said he likes McDonalds occasionally because of allergies and you give him instructions for making sandwiches, cold pasta and some thoughts about how refrigeration preserves food. :laughing:

I didn’t eat McDonalds (as far as I remember) until I was 23, in Bangkok. It was AMAZING. No, it’s not good for me, but once in a while, it doesn’t kill you.[/quote]

He is reacting like if McDonald’s leaving Taiwan was the end of the world, and he’s justifying it saying that he liked it because of McD’s alleged “superior hygiene”. I merely pointed out that he could basically make his own meals at home instead of relying on McDonald’s, and that them leaving is not the end of the world.

Then instead of a thanks, I get a “OMG I ALMOST DIED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANTS HERE ARE SO INCOMPETENT”, which kind of makes my point about preparing his own meals if he wants to make sure everything is good for him, and specially if he has life-threatening allergies. But it seems I’m like Jon Snow and know nothing about that.

In any case, I could point out to the book “Fast Food Nation” and talk about the cases in which kids have actually died for consuming beef patties contaminated with E.Coli due to the speed used in the slaughterhouses, which cause feces being mixed in with the beef cuts. But hey, McD is OMG SO HEALTHY.

They are not leaving, they just make all stores into franchises. Which might make them a bunch of money!

Which is too bad. I wish they would just go.

Now they’re probably just going to go back to the rice burgers and add some shrimp cake sandwiches :raspberry:

[quote=“Blaquesmith”][quote=“Ermintrude”]The guy said he likes McDonalds occasionally because of allergies and you give him instructions for making sandwiches, cold pasta and some thoughts about how refrigeration preserves food. :laughing:

I didn’t eat McDonalds (as far as I remember) until I was 23, in Bangkok. It was AMAZING. No, it’s not good for me, but once in a while, it doesn’t kill you.[/quote]

He is reacting like if McDonald’s leaving Taiwan was the end of the world, and he’s justifying it saying that he liked it because of McD’s alleged “superior hygiene”. I merely pointed out that he could basically make his own meals at home instead of relying on McDonald’s, and that them leaving is not the end of the world.

Then instead of a thanks, I get a “OMG I ALMOST DIED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THE RESTAURANTS HERE ARE SO INCOMPETENT”, which kind of makes my point about preparing his own meals if he wants to make sure everything is good for him, and specially if he has life-threatening allergies. But it seems I’m like Jon Snow and know nothing about that.

In any case, I could point out to the book “Fast Food Nation” and talk about the cases in which kids have actually died for consuming beef patties contaminated with E.Coli due to the speed used in the slaughterhouses, which cause feces being mixed in with the beef cuts. But hey, McD is OMG SO HEALTHY.[/quote]

OK, Judgey McJudgey. Concern trolling, food snobbery and mansplaining all on the same tray. :laughing: I had a shot after a sandwich at Taiwan Starbucks. The guy’s point is that there is no point asking in Taiwan because people either don’t know or lie about allergens.

Yes, the guy could bring his own sandwiches. He could possibly even figure out some kind of method for cold pasta or how to use a freezer. I’m sure he’s quite aware that MacDonalds is not high cuisine but he likes it because it doesn’t contain deadly (to him) substances and he feels the minuscule risk of e.coli is one he can weigh against the high risk of eating foods contaminated with deadly allergens. Eating pasta, bread and ham is not exactly good for you either. We weigh this stuff up as a life with balance. It’s not a big deal to eat crap like ham sandwiches or pasta or McDonalds occasionally and I’m sure he eats well the rest of the time. Could it be that he’d rather just choose what to eat and is quite capable of coming up with the revolutionary concept of ‘taking a sandwich’?

Franchises still have to stick to the basic menu, and if they introduce new local varieties, it’s still nationwide.

I’m glad they’re staying. I love their Egg McMuffin breakfasts. If you don’t like them, you’re free not to eat there.

If you read the post previous to yours it kinda makes sense to not be a franchise butbut instead profit from the real estateestate situation as long as it works out and then sell off and collect the franchise fees afterwards. And I mean its really a no Brainerd for them. Considering the land prices here and them being able to uplift prices even more by a store is basically a guaranteed cash machine