May 15, 1940: The First
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 41 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Great story about the “real” McDonald’s in Fairbury. It also serves to remind me that, not so long ago, the Trib was still a real newspaper.
Yeah, I cancelled my subscription in 2008 when the Trib endorsed Obama. I quickly realized that I didn’t miss it since I was getting most of my news over the internet, and that my daily newspaper habit had for some time merely been a matter of inertia. I don’t think paper newspapers are ever coming back, absent a massive shortage of toilet paper.
Illinois is tough on the big burger chains! A Burger King in Mattoon (established in 1954) defeated the BK chain, too. https://midwestwanderer.com/original-burger-king/
A cultural phenomenon undoubtedly. Not just as a fast food chain, but as a brand.
Fun fact:
The first McCafe was opened in Melbourne Australia in 1993. Melbourne is known for its really good barista coffee. McDonald coffee is horrible (IMHO) in comparison. But there you go.
Also, The Blue Mountains, Katoomba, (a very picturesque tourist destination UNESCO World Heritage listed) located on the fringe of Sydney also managed to stop a McDonald’s coming in. I think local food outlets would be finished if a McDonalds was allowed there.
However, The Vatican, on the other hand, is happy to collect rent in exchange for placing a Golden Arches meters from the Popes Residence. It’s giving them a nice $33,000 rent a month.
I repeat, selling mega-sandwiches in Borgo Pio is a disgrace: said one Cardinal Elio Sgreccia. If only the Cardinal channelled the same oomf towards fixing the state of the Church…
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/controversial-mcdonalds-opens-in-vatican-city-amid-cardinal-protests
I must add that the one thing the McDonald corporation should be truly proud of, is the Ronald McDonald House Charity it created. My husband and I used to volunteer at the sick kids residence before we were married. Keeping families together and alleviating accomodation costs whilst a child is being treated for an illness is something the Corporation should be truly proud of.
Res —
Back in the 1970s there was a legacy BK in neighboring Charleston too, presumably owned by the same Mattoon Hoots family. I suspect that store is long gone now, but I’m pretty sure that Big BK still does not have a location in this college town due to the same 7th Circuit decision.
I ate at both the BKs Mike when I practiced law in Mattoon at the start of my career in 82-85. The mystified looks of out of towners when they came into one of the places was always hilarious!
Mike, I am not sure about Charleston, but the BK in Mattoon is still going strong. I was there just two weeks ago. (Didn’t eat, but I drove by, and it looked busy.)
So the McRib came first?
“I don’t think paper newspapers are ever coming back, absent a massive shortage of toilet paper.”
Heh, Good one, and I suspect you’re right. Costs are ridiculous, at least here in the D/FW area, and the only reason I keep getting the Dallas Morning News is their daily commuter crossword puzzle, which my wife absolutely loves. What price domestic peace? 🙂 She also, by the way, insisted that I remove my photo from the Gravatar. Hope you like the new one
We get books full of Sudoku. My sister used to be mad for books and booklets full of crosswords. Might be a satisfactory substitute.
My mother was devoted to the acrostic on the last page of Saturday Review.
Good point, Art. I need to look around some more, there are apparently plenty of possibilities.