Latest news with #BigMacs
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Vintage McDonald's Cutlery That Was 'Banned' For An Unexpected Reason
In the 1970s and 1980s, McDonald's was known for more than just Big Macs and Happy Meals. It sounds too absurd to be true, but the fast food giant accidentally became part of the earliest stages of the "War on Drugs." It involved a tiny plastic coffee spoon, a drug epidemic, and an eventual government crackdown. Before we learned just how awful single-use plastic was, the innocent-looking utensil was first introduced as a convenient tool for stirring coffee. The offender was about five inches long and featured a small, flattened scoop at the end — just enough to stir a serving of sugar or cream into a cup of coffee. With the iconic golden arches as its handle, the spoon was another effort to add branding to the customer experience. But it wasn't long before the spoon found an unexpected second life outside of McDonald's dining rooms ... Cocaine use was truly booming in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and its fans were always looking for an easy way to measure clean, consistent bumps of the drug. The McDonald's spoon just happened to be the perfect size and shape for this purpose. This little tool became so widely associated with cocaine that it soon earned the nickname "the McSpoon." Its popularity in both the underground drug world and upper-class dinner parties didn't go unnoticed. One Connecticut newspaper in 1979 remarked, "One thing is certain: From the Tiffany's set to the McDonald's crowd, New York is snowed in coke." Read more: Taco Bell's Decades Menu Brings Back Old Faves, And We Ranked Them The U.S. government soon took issue with the spoon. At a hearing with senators and anti-drug activists, a lobbyist for the drug paraphernalia trade quipped that, "This is the best cocaine spoon in town and it's free with every cup of coffee at McDonald's." Unfortunately, the joke backfired. One of the activists attending, Joyce Nalepka, decided to personally call McDonald's then-president Edward Schmidt and ask him to replace and redesign the infamous McSpoon. Her talk must have been pretty persuasive, because the spoons soon disappeared from American McD's, replaced by a flat plastic coffee stir stick. Over time, the McDonald's coke spoon has become something of a pop culture relic. It has appeared in online forums, drug history retrospectives, and even as one of the nostalgia buys on eBay, where vintage versions of the spoon occasionally sell as collector's items. Of course, McDonald's never created or distributed the spoon with any malicious intent. But in the eyes of law enforcement and drug culture observers, the spoon had become too closely linked to illegal activities. The story of the McDonald's coffee spoon is a cautionary tale of unintended consequences. Even the most mundane products can be swept up in larger cultural trends, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Today, the tiny plastic spoon lives on as a quirky footnote in the surprisingly intertwined histories of fast food and America's War on Drugs. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
I tried McDonald's new Big Arch burger - one thing made it better than a Big Mac
McDonald's have launched a brand new burger to their menu - and it is advertised as the next generation of burgers. The fast food giant unveiled their brand new Big Arch burger, perfect for those craving something new from the beloved fast food chain. Despite being renowned for their Big Macs, McDonald's have crafted the Big Arch burger with a brand new secret sauce and it has totally revamped the burger game. This burger is built for serious hunger, with two beef patties, three cheese slices, crispy onions, fresh onions, gherkins, lettuce and the brand new sauce. Thomas O'Neill, head of menu at McDonald's UK & Ireland told the Mirror that the fast food chain's fame served as their own inspiration for the new burger, saying: "[We've been] famous for beef burgers for so many years, but we wanted to take our customers to the next generation of beef burgers so it feels new but feels contemporary. "The sauce is what makes it different, this sauce is designed just for this burger. It's also bigger to help for those who have that 'McDonald's hunger'. The bun is new, which gives a flavour and texture difference, there is also two different types of onion, two quarter pounder patties, three slices of white cheddar which melts with the beef and gives it the classic McDonald's taste," he added. I was lucky enough to try the Big Arch for myself and here's what I thought... I wasn't sure what to expect, as I didn't really think there could be much else you can change when it comes to a cheese burger - but I was wrong. The first thing I noticed was that the bun was completely different, it was a seeded bun with poppy seeds which was a nice touch. I also learned how the new Big Arch sauce was applied differently, it was put on the top and bottom bun instead of just the top bun like the Big Mac, which is to coat your whole mouth with sauce rather than just the top - and the sauce is absolutely delicious. It has more of a kick to it than the Big Mac sauce, and is a lot tastier. While the sauce was a great new addition and interesting to have it on both buns, it made it very messy. I had sauce all over my hands and I got through quite a lot of napkins, so I don't think it's one you could eat in the car from a drive thru. There are two beef patties and three mild cheddar slices which gives it a nice creamy taste, and the iconic gherkins and lettuce give it the extra crunch. It's clear McDonald's have designed the Big Arch burger for those who don't do things by halves. Overall, I'm a huge fan of the new burger, it's definitely something different and exciting for the McDonald's menu and I would recommend everyone to try. However I do wish it wasn't as messy. Any McDonald's fan will know all of the best menu items are limited editions, however Thomas said if the Big Arch proves to be a big hit, it could stay on the menu permanently, fingers crossed! The Big Arch is available in restaurants and via McDelivery® from Wednesday, 18th June.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why I'll Continue to Invest in Gold, at Least for Another Year
June 2, 2025 (Maple Hill Syndicate) - About 14 months ago, I wrote a column about gold. I don't think gold is an investment for all seasons, I wrote, but right now, I think it's sensible to hold some. That turned out to be right. Gold is up about 51% since I made that recommendation, including a 25% gain this year through May 30. So, what now? Take your golden profits and run? I don't think so. Most of my clients have about 6% of their portfolio assets in gold, and I'm considering increasing that. Gold doesn't have profits or pay dividends, so evaluating it is harder than evaluating a stock. However, I think there are four major factors that move the price of gold: inflation, real interest rates, the dollar and geopolitics. Inflation Gold is traditionally considered a hedge against inflation, because it tends to hold its purchasing power. Today a Big Mac sandwich costs about $6 and an ounce of gold sells for about $3,300. So, one ounce of gold could buy 555 Big Macs. If inflation worsens and a Big Mac three years from now costs $8, it would not be surprising for gold to command a price of $4,400. Then an ounce of the previous metal would still pay for 555 Big Macs. Will inflation worsen? After all, a few days ago President Trump said that he had solved inflation. In support of that assertion, he has said repeatedly that the price of gasoline is under $2 a gallon. I hate to break it to the President, but when I bought gas last week it cost $2.99 a gallon. Meanwhile, Congress appears likely to pass a budget that features a gigantic budget deficit. To finance deficits, the U.S. Treasury may be forced to issue more bonds. Many economists view that as inflationary. In addition, the tariffs that President Trump has proposed would add to inflation, in my view, by making a variety of goods more expensive. Real Rates For gold, low real interest rates are good and high real interest rates are bad. The real interest rate is the rate paid on fixed-income instruments like bonds, minus the inflation rate. An old rule of thumb was that bond investors want to earn three percentage points more than inflation for example, a 6% interest rate if inflation is running 3%. That rule turned out to be too simplistic, but the general point behind it is valid. Gold and bonds are competitors: They compete for the dollars of risk-averse investors. If bonds are more attractive, gold is less so. Ten-year Treasury bonds currently pay about 4.4% interest. Inflation for the year through April was about 2.3%. So, the real interest rate is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.1%. That's not terrible but it's below the historical average. The Dollar The strength of the dollar is partly a gauge of how much faith people in other countries have in the United States. Less faith equals more jitters. More jitters may inspire a flight to gold. One thing people need dollars for is to buy U.S. goods and services. If trade barriers are erected, people and businesses in other countries have less need for dollars, so the dollar might decline in price relative to the Euro, the yen and other currencies. What would a weak dollar mean for gold? Historically, gold has generally done well when the dollar was weak, and poorly when the dollar is strong. There are exceptions, notably 2023-2024, when the dollar was strong and gold rose nevertheless. Ned David Research, an outfit for which I have considerable respect, is predicting a weak dollar and strength in gold for 2025. Geopolitics The more stress there is in the world, the better for gold. In the U.S., people worried about geopolitical tensions may buy gold as a defensive holding. That's even more true in China, India and Europe. Despite sporadic efforts at peace talks, there are two hot wars in progress between Russia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Gaza. In addition, there are at least two notable cold wars, between the U.S. and China, and between the U.S. and Iran. To me, that geopolitical backdrop most likely signals continued strength in gold. Bear in mind that most performance information in my column is hypothetical and shouldn't be confused with results I obtain for clients. Also, past performance doesn't predict the future. Disclosure: Personally, and for most of my clients, I own shares in SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), an exchange traded fund that represents ownership of a fraction of a large store of physical gold. John Dorfman is chairman of Dorfman Value Investments LLC in Boston, Massachusetts. He or his clients may own or trade securities discussed in this column. He can be reached at jdorfman@ This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Influencer who attended Trump's memecoin dinner says he got a ‘Walmart steak'—and no access to the president
Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old social media influencer, accumulated more than $360,000 in President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency to attend an 'unforgettable Gala DINNER' with the commander-in-chief. The food, though, was forgettable. 'Trash,' Pinto texted Fortune during the banquet. 'Walmart steak, man.' The menu included a 'Trump organic field green salad' and an 'entrée duet' of filet mignon and pan-seared halibut. 'Everyone at my table was saying the food was some of the worst food that they ever had,' said Pinto after the meal. But the real draw of the evening, of course, wasn't steak or halibut. It was Trump himself. The top 220 holders of his memecoin were promised an exclusive evening with the 47th president in what critics have called one of the most blatant pay-for-access schemes in presidential history. In total, investors bought up $148 million of the cryptocurrency to attend the dinner, according to crypto analytics firm Inca Digital. 'The President is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself,' said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly in a statement. Was the price tag worth it? 'I was hoping for either Big Macs or pizza,' Pinto said, referring to the president's well-known taste for McDonald's. 'That would have been better than the food that we were served.' In January, two days before his inauguration, Trump announced that he was launching his own memecoin, or cryptocurrency whose price trades on the virality of a joke or person, not its utility. Pinto, a Trump supporter who happened to be staying at the Trump National Doral hotel in Miami at the time, started buying up the token. 'I saw it listed, and it was skyrocketing,' he said. He was already flush in cash. As a 13-year-old, Pinto netted $100,000 in one year through his launch of a company that made scooter wheels, and then he parlayed that success into a career as a social media influencer. He currently has 2.6 million followers on Instagram. While Trump's memecoin initially jumped in price to a market capitalization of almost $8.8 billion, it eventually plummeted to now around $2.8 billion. To help increase enthusiasm for the token, the team behind the cryptocurrency announced in late April that the memecoin's top 220 holders would be eligible for an exclusive dinner with the president at the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va. Pinto wanted to attend, so he bought up enough cryptocurrency to snag no. 72 on the leaderboard, which displayed each invitee's $TRUMP holdings along with a pseudonym. Pinto's nickname was 'rich.' As the dinner neared, Pinto was so excited that he spray-painted his 'G-Wagon,' a luxury SUV from Mercedes-Benz that costs around $150,000, with the $TRUMP ticker. But on the day of the memecoin extravaganza, he decided—in a nod to the crypto industry's favorite symbol of wealth—to drive down from his home in New Jersey in his 2023 'Lambo,' or Lamborghini. Wearing a black tie and a suit, he wondered who else was coming. Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto billionaire reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department during former President Joe Biden's administration, had confirmed his attendance. Other attendees included the CEO of a Singaporean crypto startup and an Australian crypto investor. 'I really would love to meet Elon Musk,' noted Pinto, referring to the Tesla CEO. 'I don't know if that's gonna happen, but that's definitely my top person.' $TRUMP — Nick Pinto (@nicholaspinto_) May 23, 2025 When Pinto showed up to the dinner Thursday evening, he was instead greeted by a crowd of critics. The nonprofit Public Citizen had organized a protest, which included an appearance from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). 'Trump's crypto businesses constitute one of the most corrupt innovations in American political history,' Robert Weissman, copresident of Public Citizen, previously told Fortune. Inside the Trump National Golf Club, the sentiment was mixed. 'Most of the ppl here are sketchy ngl [not gonna lie],' Pinto texted Fortune. Trump did appear and gave a speech, but Pinto described the president's address as 'pretty much like bullshit.' And most guests had no access to the commander-in-chief, he said. Even Caitlin Sinclair, the host of the dinner and an anchor on the conservative news network OANN, wasn't able to get much face time with Trump. 'She said, 'Oh, Trump didn't even give me a picture,'' Pinto remembered. As the gala ended around 10 p.m., Pinto, who didn't meet Elon Musk, got a ride from his father back to a nearby hotel. He then readied himself for an after-party organized by the Singaporean crypto company at the Ciel Capitol Hill, a rooftop club in Washington, D.C. But first, he and his father needed to grab a bite to eat. Pinto was still hungry after the underwhelming meal. 'The only good part,' he told Fortune, '[was] the bread and the butter.' This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Influencer who attended Trump's memecoin dinner says he got a ‘Walmart steak'—and no access to the president
Nicholas Pinto, a 25-year-old social media influencer, accumulated more than $360,000 in President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency to attend an 'unforgettable Gala DINNER' with the commander-in-chief. The food, though, was forgettable. 'Trash,' Pinto texted Fortune during the banquet. 'Walmart steak, man.' The menu included a 'Trump organic field green salad' and an 'entrée duet' of filet mignon and pan-seared halibut. 'Everyone at my table was saying the food was some of the worst food that they ever had,' said Pinto after the meal. But the real draw of the evening, of course, wasn't steak or halibut. It was Trump himself. The top 220 holders of his memecoin were promised an exclusive evening with the 47th president in what critics have called one of the most blatant pay-for-access schemes in presidential history. In total, investors bought up $148 million of the cryptocurrency to attend the dinner, according to crypto analytics firm Inca Digital. 'The President is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself,' said White House spokesperson Anna Kelly in a statement. Was the price tag worth it? 'I was hoping for either Big Macs or pizza,' Pinto said, referring to the president's well-known taste for McDonald's. 'That would have been better than the food that we were served.' In January, two days before his inauguration, Trump announced that he was launching his own memecoin, or cryptocurrency whose price trades on the virality of a joke or person, not its utility. Pinto, a Trump supporter who happened to be staying at the Trump National Doral hotel in Miami at the time, started buying up the token. 'I saw it listed, and it was skyrocketing,' he said. He was already flush in cash. As a 13-year-old, Pinto netted $100,000 in one year through his launch of a company that made scooter wheels, and then he parlayed that success into a career as a social media influencer. He currently has 2.6 million followers on Instagram. While Trump's memecoin initially jumped in price to a market capitalization of almost $8.8 billion, it eventually plummeted to now around $2.8 billion. To help increase enthusiasm for the token, the team behind the cryptocurrency announced in late April that the memecoin's top 220 holders would be eligible for an exclusive dinner with the president at the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va. Pinto wanted to attend, so he bought up enough cryptocurrency to snag no. 72 on the leaderboard, which displayed each invitee's $TRUMP holdings along with a pseudonym. Pinto's nickname was 'rich.' As the dinner neared, Pinto was so excited that he spray-painted his 'G-Wagon,' a luxury SUV from Mercedes-Benz that costs around $150,000, with the $TRUMP ticker. But on the day of the memecoin extravaganza, he decided—in a nod to the crypto industry's favorite symbol of wealth—to drive down from his home in New Jersey in his 2023 'Lambo,' or Lamborghini. Wearing a black tie and a suit, he wondered who else was coming. Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto billionaire reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department during former President Joe Biden's administration, had confirmed his attendance. Other attendees included the CEO of a Singaporean crypto startup and an Australian crypto investor. 'I really would love to meet Elon Musk,' noted Pinto, referring to the Tesla CEO. 'I don't know if that's gonna happen, but that's definitely my top person.' When Pinto showed up to the dinner Thursday evening, he was instead greeted by a crowd of critics. The nonprofit Public Citizen had organized a protest, which included an appearance from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). 'Trump's crypto businesses constitute one of the most corrupt innovations in American political history,' Robert Weissman, copresident of Public Citizen, previously told Fortune. Inside the Trump National Golf Club, the sentiment was mixed. 'Most of the ppl here are sketchy ngl [not gonna lie],' Pinto texted Fortune. Trump did appear and gave a speech, but Pinto described the president's address as 'pretty much like bullshit.' And most guests had no access to the commander-in-chief, he said. Even Caitlin Sinclair, the host of the dinner and an anchor on the conservative news network OANN, wasn't able to get much face time with Trump. 'She said, 'Oh, Trump didn't even give me a picture,'' Pinto remembered. As the gala ended around 10 p.m., Pinto, who didn't meet Elon Musk, got a ride from his father back to a nearby hotel. He then readied himself for an after-party organized by the Singaporean crypto company at the Ciel Capitol Hill, a rooftop club in Washington, D.C. But first, he and his father needed to grab a bite to eat. Pinto was still hungry after the underwhelming meal. 'The only good part,' he told Fortune, '[was] the bread and the butter.' This story was originally featured on
