McDonald’s may “…love to see you smile,” but with a potential 6 billion unhappy patrons ready to file suit over the Monopoly game conspiracy, and the company’s controversial deal to build a restaurant inside the walls of the Smithsonian, the chain may have upset some restaurant-goers.
The first public relations nightmare the fast food chain had to face dealt with the allegations and later formal charges made by the FBI concerning the company’s long-running Monopoly game. The FBI arrested eight people, charging them with “stealing the best pieces” from McDonald’s annual Monopoly prize game. The total amount of winnings stolen is estimated at around $13 million dollars.
The Security Director for Simon Marketing, Inc., the company that ensures game security, was one of the eight charged by the FBI in connection with the crime. In response to this, McDonald’s has created an independent task force headed by former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb to make sure future promotions will operate smoothly.
In order to curb the appetite of loyal customers who fell victim to this heist, McDonald’s, which claims to have known nothing of the incident, has offered a 10 million dollar “second chance” contest. In an open letter to customers, the restaurant expressed shock at government findings and in a corporate statement from Jack Greenberg, McDonald’s chairman and CEO, the company said that they were “…pleased that no McDonald’s employees were involved in any way.”
This new contest, dubbed “The McDonald’s 2001 Instant Giveaway,” took place on Labor Day weekend, leaving some disappointed customers with a new distraction, hoping they will like the company’s most recent deal with our capital’s National Air and Space Museum.
Officials at the Smithsonian announced that McDonald’s will open a restaurant inside of the National Air and Space Museum in April 2002. The 10 year contract guarantees the museum $1.6 million per year and a $5 million donation, an attractive offer to a museum that receives only 48 percent of its money from places other than the federal government.
“We have a federal museum. You will have a capitalist company, McDonald’s, in there. I’m wondering how they will go together,” said Louis Milam of Lakeland, Fla.
The museum’s director, Gen. John R. Dailey, says that there will be no advertising or displays inside of the museum, and that the restaurant would not keep the McDonald’s name, nor serve only McDonald’s food. “There won’t be flashing lights or Ronald McDonald at the front door greeting people,” Dailey said.
In a corporate press release, McDonald’s claimed that their presence in the Smithsonian would cost the average family of four “about 15 percent less than it does now for a similar meal.” The 1000- seat restaurant will serve both breakfast and lunch and give visitors the opportunity to see visual presentations of museum exibits through interactive screens displayed throughout the eating establishment. McDonald’s officials also point to the success of their traditional restau