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McDonalds all you an eat limitless french fries?

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  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    Daiako wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    Where the link to the Red Robin's bottomless fries thread? And they have unlimited refills for kids' Mac and cheese too.

    They probably had to install heavier-duty seats for their patrons years ago since they've been offering this for a while.

    Um, duh, all of their patrons are dead from various weight related issues caused by bottomless fries. Everyone knows that.

    Not all of them.

    Last time I was there, I had to wait a half hour for a table. And shockingly, most of the patrons didn't appear to have an obesity problem...just families enjoying a burger and fries...which is something I found very surprising given what I knew to be true from the MFP forums. Maybe people just don't know that the fries (and freckled lemonade) are bottomless? Or maybe availability of food isn't the only influencing factor in their decisions of how much to eat?

    Nah, that can't be it. Bottomless means you have to eat as much as you physically can...and eat there as often as you can too. Thats's just how it is. They don't even have a choice.

    I was there last week with my father and two daughters as a layover meal in travel we let them order what they want within reason. I highly doubt that free fries will change my eating habits because hey, the entire meal was free for me and the kids - my father paid for it. Did I get extra fries?

    I probably ate 900-1000 cals (a burger, a salad, kids left over fries, no soda). My kids are not overweight, my father is underweight. I was still under goal for the day.

    And @GaleHawkins, you probably shouldn't spend too much time watching kids eat, it isn't really your business.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    DEBOO7 wrote: »
    Small fries.... 230 calories.... 30 carbs. I don't even touch them as a treat.

    A small fries really is a teeny tiny amount.. I could fit the whole lot in, in one mouthful :open_mouth:I think our small fries are smaller than the American version??

    That seems reasonable as Australians tend to be smaller than Americans.
    Causation or correlation? :wink:
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
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    No, but I wouldn't mind all you can drink coffee, lol. :D
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    Would you visit for the unlimited fries? Yes / No? Poll.

    No, but then again no more than I would be attracted to visit a restaurant for any "unlimited" eating opportunity ~ bottomless drinks, fries, all you can eat buffets don't really do it for me. I do eat at McDonalds on occasion and medium fries are more than enough.

    That said, I wonder if this kind of tactic helps push up average portion size and what is considered large now will be considered regular in the future. Larger portion sizes can correlate with increased consumption and increased overall calorie intake.

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Ashtoretet wrote: »
    If that's what people want to spend their calories on it doesn't bother me. I'm sure we all eat something that someone else hates. The snobbery is unnecessary and laughable.

    Why snobbery? I cannot eat McDonald's fries. Just can't, I find them disgusting. I also find boiled eggs disgusting. Even if they are expensive free range organic eggs. We all have things we hate. And restaurants we hate. It is not snobbery, it is personal taste. McDonald's exist everywhere, so more people can respond when they are mentioned about how they hate or love them. Lots of people in my neighbourhood might love or hate the local kebab place, but since no one here knows about it, there is no point debating their latest offers.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    Where the link to the Red Robin's bottomless fries thread? And they have unlimited refills for kids' Mac and cheese too.

    They probably had to install heavier-duty seats for their patrons years ago since they've been offering this for a while.

    A bunch of places in Paris offer food "a volonté" - unlimited refills of fries or other things...

    Leon de Brussels has had unlimited French Fries for 20 years. http://www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr
    La Regalade has as much terrine as you can stuff into your pie-hole.
    Les hunters au Comptoir is a 'free'-for-all oyster stuffer.
    Bistro-Romain has had unlimited carpaccio's also for about 10 years - it's a pretty generous chain-restaurant

    along with all the AYCE sushi, chinese buffets, etc. that are part of regular restaurant fare. I doubt McD fries is such a big deal factor overall.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    Eileen_S wrote: »
    No, but I wouldn't mind all you can drink coffee, lol. :D

    If you go to Starbucks and pay with the app...you can get free refills while you are in the store. Sure the one coffee costs you what 3 coffees do at Mickey D's, but you could just sit there all day long and get refills. You know...if you have no job and if you have no job, you have no time for all day free refills at the expensive Starbucks.

    or if you have a flexible job that allows you to work anywhere and use their internet...sure, I have done that.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    No. This is absolutely ridiculous!!

    Way to contribute even more to the obesity crisis McDonalds...

    You're blaming the company...

    ...because they're giving consumers what they want?



    Very interesting, comrade.

    Yes, yes I am! Some folks may be able to self regulate, but many more will not, is my prediction. We shall have to wait and see :smile:

    So McDonalds and other corporations have responsibility to restrict what these people eat, because certain individuals can't self regulate? Should McDonalds refuse to sell an obese person a second or third serving of fries, if they are willing to pay for it?

    There's an awfully slippery slope to that argument...

    doesnt even have to be obese...could be refueling for some people. Where I do have a problem though is upcharging to increase profits and to justify the increase providing more food. Then removing/hiding the right size item or changing it into a kids meal. Thats my own problem though that I am learning to resolve.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    Where the link to the Red Robin's bottomless fries thread? And they have unlimited refills for kids' Mac and cheese too.

    They probably had to install heavier-duty seats for their patrons years ago since they've been offering this for a while.

    A bunch of places in Paris offer food "a volonté" - unlimited refills of fries or other things...

    Leon de Brussels has had unlimited French Fries for 20 years. http://www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr
    La Regalade has as much terrine as you can stuff into your pie-hole.
    Les hunters au Comptoir is a 'free'-for-all oyster stuffer.
    Bistro-Romain has had unlimited carpaccio's also for about 10 years - it's a pretty generous chain-restaurant

    along with all the AYCE sushi, chinese buffets, etc. that are part of regular restaurant fare. I doubt McD fries is such a big deal factor overall.

    I know where I'm eating if I get to Europe.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    zyxst wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    Where the link to the Red Robin's bottomless fries thread? And they have unlimited refills for kids' Mac and cheese too.

    They probably had to install heavier-duty seats for their patrons years ago since they've been offering this for a while.

    A bunch of places in Paris offer food "a volonté" - unlimited refills of fries or other things...

    Leon de Brussels has had unlimited French Fries for 20 years. http://www.leon-de-bruxelles.fr
    La Regalade has as much terrine as you can stuff into your pie-hole.
    Les Huiters au Comptoir is a 'free'-for-all oyster stuffer.
    Bistro-Romain has had unlimited carpaccio's also for about 10 years - it's a pretty generous chain-restaurant

    along with all the AYCE sushi, chinese buffets, etc. that are part of regular restaurant fare. I doubt McD fries is such a big deal factor overall.

    I know where I'm eating if I get to Europe.

    Oh, gosh. Umm, Bistro-Romain and Leon are relatively "not the best" restaurants and rather hit or miss. But positioned as "good value for money". If you come to Europe, so many better places...
  • Rnsmith1982
    Rnsmith1982 Posts: 24 Member
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    Maybe if they were some Popeyes Cajun fries, but McDonald's....nah...
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    No. This is absolutely ridiculous!!

    Way to contribute even more to the obesity crisis McDonalds...

    You're blaming the company...

    ...because they're giving consumers what they want?



    Very interesting, comrade.

    Yes, yes I am! Some folks may be able to self regulate, but many more will not, is my prediction. We shall have to wait and see :smile:

    McD's is a business. They are looking to make money. Any restaurant that offers "all you can eat" anything (and many, many restaurants do this, as a temporary promotion or a permanent menu option) does so knowing full well that the majority of people will eat a pretty normal sized portion even under "all you can eat" conditions. That's how they make money - charge more for "all you can eat" but customer is really only eating a normal amount, or just slightly more (well, that and increased sales volume by potentially attracting new customers). Yes, a few customers will take full advantage of the limitless menu item, but that would be the exception, not the rule. If everyone (or even the majority) was going crazy on the unlimited menu items, restaurants would stop doing it, as they would lose money. Olive Garden has had an unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch for as long as I can remember. Nobody accuses them of contributing to the obesity epidemic.... I don't think we need to wait and see. We already have plenty of examples of restaurants doing this type of promotion. What exactly is supposed to happen?
  • goingtobefit2015
    goingtobefit2015 Posts: 408 Member
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    A few years ago Yes, Right now in my life NO!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    lynn1982 wrote: »
    Honestly, how many french fries can people actually eat? I recall as a kid being really excited to go to a restaurant in Quebec that served unlimited french fries with mussels. I'm sure my dad managed to plow his way through a number of plates, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't even finish one serving. In theory it sounds awesome (or horrifying, depending on how you look at it), but really it's more like the restaurant down the street from me with all-you-can-eat pierogi. It's probably not worth the price since you can't eat more than a serving in one sitting anyway...

    A fair estimate for what I could eat at a single sitting is 22 large fries, but only 20 if I also eat a burger.

    Having said that, it wouldn't help me lose weight and I'm have a lot of success right now with low carb anyway, so... I can't. :'(
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
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    McD's is getting desperate 'eh? Trying to give it away now.
  • glenneric913
    glenneric913 Posts: 7 Member
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    Wow I'm shocked how anyone can eat McDonalds....I think the food tastes like bad cafeteria food. I'd rather eat some hand cut fries or a real hamburger at a pub or on the boardwalk any day over McDonalds. I've only eaten McDonalds a handful of times over the past 25+ years and each time it tasted terrible.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    DEBOO7 wrote: »
    Small fries.... 230 calories.... 30 carbs. I don't even touch them as a treat.

    A small fries really is a teeny tiny amount.. I could fit the whole lot in, in one mouthful :open_mouth:I think our small fries are smaller than the American version??

    That seems reasonable as Australians tend to be smaller than Americans.
    Causation or correlation? :wink:

    US small fries are 230 calories, Australian small are 255 calories, so I imagine they are about the same size.

    That was regular, I believe, when I was a kid, and isn't that small.

    In the US there's a "kid's" size with half the calories -- maybe that's in Australia too, and what Christine is thinking of, although I didn't see it on the AU website.