Free Republic

Malcolm Gladwell’s latest contrarian position could go over worse than the time he defended Lance Armstrong’s doping: McDonald’s fries suck, he declares on the latest episode of his Revisionist History podcast. Before you rush out and declare him un-American, though, realize he means well. Gladwell opens the podcast by telling listeners that “McDonald’s betrayed me so many years ago” when it stopped frying potatoes in beef tallow, so his ultimate goal is to help the fries return to their former glory. But his personal vendetta is woven into the far more interesting story of Phil Sokolof, the drywall magnate who...

McDonald’s plans to shrink by 59 locations this year in the US, the first time in at least 45 years that the fast food restaurant has closed more US stores than it has opened, as the company cuts costs and tries to revive sales. The world’s biggest restaurant chain has not reduced the net number of its US stores since at least 1970, according to a previous Associated Press review of McDonald's regulatory filings.

Burger King wants people to feel less guilty about gobbling up its french fries. The world’s No. 2 hamburger chain is launching a new crinkle-cut french fry on Tuesday that it says has about 20 percent fewer calories than its regular french fries. The chain says a small order of the new “Satisfries” clocks in at 270 calories because of a new batter that doesn’t absorb as much oil. By comparison, a small order of its regular fries, sans crinkles, has 340 calories. …