Talk about the mother of all insults.
In this age of emphasizing the convenience of eating on the run, obsessions about the healthy, low-fat, high protein benefits of chicken, and the emotional value of comfort food in an environment where Fox News proliferates national insecurity by the hour…
Now, imagine you’re a a restaurant that offers (allegedly) solutions to these issues…and then the fast food McDump that owns you and has access to all the advertising resources in the world kicks you to the curb.
Yesterday it was noted that McDonald’s is unloading its Boston Market chain to Sun Capital Partners, Inc. for who knows how much money (read: whatever they were offered).
Apparently Boston Market, which McDonald’s had purchased in 2000 for ~$175M, has 630 locations in 28 states.
To me it’s amazing that they have that many restaurants. I know I’ve see some of their TV ads, but I’ve never eaten at a Boston Market, let alone stepped inside one….ever. It’s curious to me how it’s ever stayed in business? Thing is, nobody I’ve talked to has ever eaten in one either.
Have any of you ever eaten there…because this image of their food isn’t selling me very hard.
What exactly is on that compartmentalized TV dinner plate…is that green stuff saag paneer? How about the red blob…lasagna? Or that duck-like chicken? And is that also a lemon?
Yeah, you know what…I think I’ll pass. I’d probably rather eat at Subway in fact.
15 Comments
August 30, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Dude, Boston Market actually has really good food. The green stuff is cream of spinach… I think the orange is sweet potatoes.
I’ve never seen the food look that disgusting. Although the camera used to take it isn’t that great of quality so that may have something to do with it… also looks like the food’s been sitting out for a little while.
Anyway, try their sweet potatoes, cornbread, apples, spinach, sirloin, and chicken. It’s all really good. Plus they make an awesome chicken Caesar salad.
August 30, 2007 at 9:23 pm
i appreciate you standing up for them daryl. like i said, i’ve never stepped inside one, let alone eaten there, so all i can do is go on my perceptions as a consumer…and that’s part of the story with all brands – they have to find a way to invite you to try them.
i will try it one of these days…because if i’m going to critique it, i should certainly test it first, but i’ll confess i am still laughing at what you said “i think the orange is sweet potatoes”… it’s just too funny that nobody knows what it is.
September 3, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Anyway, I used to work there. Let me tell you that not only does their food suck, they are sticking it to the customers. I was a manager and knew the food costs. They reduced serving sizes and upped prices. The chickens for 2.99?? Yeah..the ethics they work with as a company. Not only do they allow store managers abuse their powers, but abuse their employees. I was a shift manager and got stuck working every weekend and holiday for three years. Then when I asked for a day off, oh boy was that a big deal. Then after the third store I thought I’d finally found a GM that was great. Turned out she was a racist and I quit because of her. She would target managers not of her race and write them up. Maybe for legitamite reasons, but she’d never write up managers of her race for anything. She basicly had a store that had 1% caucasion, and 99% minority. Thank god for the justice system. All I have to say is that when it came down to it Boston Market sided with her, and didn’t support the managers that actually did the work to run their branch. Their system isn’t any better to this day. I know because I know people that still work there. McDonalds was right to run when the goin was good…
September 20, 2007 at 1:55 pm
lol, I just now read your reply. and reading what I said about the sweet potatoes is pretty funny… although I’m 90% those are sweet potatoes
…
Have you tried Boston Market yet? I was there a few days ago and it was as good as ever.
September 20, 2007 at 4:25 pm
nope…not yet. i promise i will try it, but i have no idea where one in my locale actually is.
it’s on my top 9 million things to do list though.
also, i did see an ad for boston market on tv and it seems like they’ve changed their positioning a little bit to be more upscale…new packaging on the bags i think to give it a clean and confident look.
October 4, 2007 at 9:11 am
Website does a good job of promotion (and better- less ambigious pictures of the grub)
http://www.bostonmarket.com
Still.. nothing can top Chipolte- McDonalds was crazy to give that up.
http://www.chipotle.com
October 26, 2007 at 7:52 pm
WELL I’M 100% SURE THOSE SWEET POTATOES . I REALLY LOVE THE FOOD THERE. I HAVE BEEN WORKING THERE FOR FOUR YEARS AND NEVER GOT TIRED OF THE FOOD. BOSTON MARKET TAKE CARE OF THERE EMPLOYEES. I AM KNOW WAITING ON MY SECONDED BONUS. BUT IT IS REALLY WORTH TRYING . THAT PICTURE IS FROM 3 YEARS AGO WE HAVE BROWN PLATES NOW BUT BEFORE YOU GO YOU SHOULD GO TO THE WEB SITE AND PICK UP A COUPON.
May 30, 2008 at 9:55 am
I also work there too JESSICA and yes the picture with the black plate is from awhile back Boston Market now uses plastic brown translucent trays. The food isn’t all that bad at all and you get a fair portion for the price you pay seriously those of you who haven’t tried it yet really should.
June 25, 2008 at 11:07 am
I love Boston Market!!! Hell even the initals are great! BM. That is exactly what happens when you eat a plate of Boston Market. You have a BM.
August 15, 2008 at 9:03 pm
That “lemon” is actually cornbread, and it is very very good. I love Boston Market!
August 21, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I have been eating at Boston Market now for 5 years. I cannot speak for all of their restaurants, but the one in Fayetteville, NC is great. You can really get good, healthy, low-cal food, fast, and relatively cheap. My favorite is the sweet potatoes and the mashed potatoes. I like the new BBQ chicken and all the other meats: turkey breast, sirloin, meatloaf. I like home cooked meals but hate to cook so BM is perfect for me.
October 19, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Yo, my girl is goin back to Fayettnam and I wuz reading her this joint. We have never tried the BM. I toll her she needed to try it, since the one in Fayettnam is spossed to be fingar lickin good. I toll hur that she should tell dem dudes behind the counter that Daryle sent her there. My lady likes chicken and gravy. She also likes a good sweet tater. Yo, them black plates was gangsta. I think they should bring those back. Thanks for this page Meek. I like to go to McDonald yo, because it’s cheap and they Monopoly now. My girl keeps telling me that stuff will kill me, but I just need to get a couple more pieces and then I can get some more benjamins. I don’t think that have a BM in D-Town, else I would go.
Char-Dogg.
April 7, 2009 at 6:49 am
hey i worked at boston market and i know you think the food might be good but they do the nastiest stuff there. at the end of the night your suppose to throw everything away instead they reheat it for the next day which allows bacteria to grow on it and one of the managers dropped four chickens of the floor and she cut it up and put it in the soups and the chicken pot pies. NONE of the employess where gloves or wash their hands. DONT EAT THERE!!!
April 7, 2009 at 6:51 am
I WORKED AT BOSTON MARKET AND THE FOOD MIGHT SEEM GOOD BUT THEY DO THE NASTIEST STUFF THERE. NONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WEAR GLOVES OR WASH THEIR HANDS. I EVEN SAW ONE OF THE MANAGERS DROP CHICKEN ON THE FLOOR AND SHE STILL PUT IT IN THE SOUPS AND CHICKEN POT PIES. THERE IS MOLD ON THE CEILING WHERE THEY KEEP ALL THE FOOD AND THEY REHEAT ALL THE FOOD AND REUSE THE FOOD FOR DAYS AT A TIME
July 14, 2009 at 9:52 pm
I loved Boston Market when it was in the St. Louis area but now it be gone…. Hard feelings about Boston beatin’ ‘em in the Series? I stopped going because I could NEVER get my order in a reasonable amount of time. And I am a patient person.