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McDonald's Corporation (MCD) should appease Italian pizzamakers by resurrecting a '90s favorite
As I was surfing the Internet yesterday, I came across news that McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) has gotten in trouble with Italian pizzerias for a commercial in which a child chooses a Happy Meal over a pizza pie. The True Neapolitan Pizza Association said the ad discredits pizza eating and promotes unhealthy dietary habits -- since, I guess, pizza is way healthier than a burger.
In any case, I soon lost interest in the story as I went on a trip down memory lane. You see, pizza and burgers don't have to be mutually exclusive. I actually remember the good old days when you could get burgers and pizza at McDonald's.
In fact, you still can. A quick Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) search reveals that there are still two MCD locations serving pizza. The Pomeroy, Ohio, restaurant is less than three hours from where I live so … lucky day, I guess.
Apparently, Ohio is some sort of safe haven for all things defunct. Just last year, I found out that a handful of still-operational Rax Restaurants locations are clustered in the Buckeye State. Again, the closest to my home is three hours away, so it looks like I already know where my summer road trip will take me.
Of course, there's a much easier way to get your fix of foodstuffs from yesteryear. Fact is, most anything you ate or drank 20 years ago can be found, purchased, and delivered to your doorstep via eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY). That's not to say you should ingest a bottle of Crystal Pepsi well beyond its expiry date -- that probably wouldn't jive so well with your digestive tract.
Actually, if you're looking for an old-school product that is fit for human consumption, The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) is currently selling SURGE via Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). That's right, the hyper-caffeinated, lime-green soda that many a Gen Xer and Gen Yer drank during their high school years is back by popular demand … at least temporarily.
On that note, perhaps McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) could consider avoiding a legal showdown with the Italian pizza industry by following KO's lead and re-launching an old product: McDonald's pizza. It sure couldn't hurt. MCD stock is down 3.2% year-over-year, and has struggled to break through congestion in the $98-$100 area in recent weeks.