Hi GA Community,

I have been researching the chain of restaurants known as The Boston Market.
This chain of fast food retaurants offers "homestyle", nutritional
meals for those people who are too busy and/or have no interest in
cooking. One can take out a number of nutrional meals or have them
delivered. Things like meat loaf, chicken/ turkey dinners, etc. All
served with salads and veggies.I've heard they also offer drive-thru
but I'm not sure if this is true or not.

What a brilliant idea! I, myself, am single and hate cooking,
especially just for one. I tend to eat way too much junk food as the
fast food chains here in Canada do not offer any nutrional
alternatives. I polled a group of my single friends and they all
agreed it was a terrific idea for those of us that are too busy to
cook or just plain hate our kitchens ;)

I understand that Boston Markets are a subsidiary of Mcdonald's. I
would love to see Boston Markets here in Canada ( so would my poor
nutrionally starved body ).

Is there anyone I could contact at Mcdonald's here in Canada so I
could inquire if this chain of fast food retaurants is even being
considered here? An e-mail address of someone that has some clout? Or
does anyone have any knowledge of Boston Markets already being
considered in locations in Canada?

We are contantly getting other US restaurant chains popping up all
over but not this one.I would definately become one of their best
customers!!
I live in Ontario.

Thanks bunches :)

Steph53 ( who needs a home-cooked meal )

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Clarification of Question by steph53-ga on 05 Oct 2004 17:27 PDT

Pinkfreud...

Would you have an e-mail addy for the Chair & CEO of Mcdonalds, Jim Cantalupo?
If you have just post as an answer.

Thanks,

Steph53 ( waiting for dinner invites )

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 05 Oct 2004 17:42 PDT

Steph,

Yet more bad news:

Jim Cantalupo is deceased.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3639607.stm

It appears that the new CEO of McDonald's is Charlie Bell:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/about/bios/charlie_bell.html

You might want to contact McDonald's using this form:

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.custsat.custsat_form_marketing.html

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Clarification of Question by steph53-ga on 05 Oct 2004 18:23 PDT

OMG Pink!!! 

You think mabe that Jim Cantalupo croaked from high carb overdose from
eating too many Big Macs???? YIKES!!!

The site you sent for the new CEO is only for US residents... :(

Thanks for all your help though.

Steph53 ( Hungry for a healthy meal- "pass the peas and carrots" )

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 05 Oct 2004 19:21 PDT

Oops. Sorry to have sent you to a US-only contact form.

Here are some pages with Canadian contact info:

http://www.mcdonalds.ca/en/contact.aspx

http://www.mcdonalds.com/app_controller.franch.franch.html

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Clarification of Question by steph53-ga on 05 Oct 2004 22:10 PDT

OK.....

I am going bonkers here :(

My cheeck is blown up & I am tired :(

Ready????????

Steph 53

Hi, Steph!

The good news is that McDonald's has given this a try already:

"MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO -- Boston Market Canada, a divsion of Oak Brook,
Ill.-based McDonald's Corp., recently broke ground on its first store
here. The new unit is the first of three scheduled to open this year
[2002] in the greater Toronto area. Boston Market said the stores
would serve as a test market for the concept in Canada."

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_26_36/ai_88268841

But here is the bad news, from 2003:

"McDonald's will discontinue its development of non-McDonald's brands
outside the U.S. This decision - affecting Boston Market in Canada and
Australia, and Donatos Pizzeria in Germany - reflects management's
desire to remain sharply focused on revitalizing sales and service at
McDonald's 17,000 restaurants outside the U.S."

http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/news/fnpr/fpr12152003.html 

The website for Boston Market Canada is apparently defunct:

http://www.bostonmarket.ca/

Here's a cached copy of a page from the old website:

http://web.archive.org/web/20030622214810/www.bostonmarket.ca/bm/en/4_company/company.asp

I hate to be the bearer of ill tidings, but it looks to me as if it
would be futile to write to McDonald's about this. :-(

Ah sheesh....

Thanks Pink....Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I guess for now I better just wait for some dinner invitations from my
married friends or those that actually LIKE cooking :(

Steph53

Hi, Steph

I live in the UK and I rarely go to MacDonalds but I did a few months
ago ... the first time for ages.

I was surprised to see the number of salads and healthy stuff on their
menus but I was even more surprised to find the number of customers
who still opted for the traditional fare ... all so far as I could
see. Me? I always have a fish or chicken thingy with a few chips (no
salt!).

My perception was that junk food and healthier foods don't mix.

I then went upstairs to visit the loo and got another surprise: about
20 Internet computers, none of them in use. I asked one of the staff
about using them and she didn't know a thing. She only spoke a few
words of English anyway.

So, hiring cheap labour is obviously not compatible with running an Internet cafe.

I got the impression that MacDonalds were trying anything and
everything in their attempts to rediscover their growth formula. And
it ain't working.

Like you, I live by myself (except for Daisy) but I am VERY
disciplined. No salt, no sugar, no puddings, no crisps, lots of fruit
and fish and WOW! Am I in great shape.

It's all an attitude of mind and you can do it, too, without any help
or otherwise from MacDonalds.

Good Luck!

Bryan

Make sure and look at the nutritional info....

http://www.bostonmarket.com/food/index.jsp?page=nutrition

http://app.mcdonalds.com/bagamcmeal?process=menuitems