McDonald’s is a real estate company. Their business model is to extract the maximum amount of profit it is their franchisees, which are for the most part also their tenants. Nonetheless I don’t really see the logic of acting so blatantly against the interests of their franchisees and customers. Unless of course they get huge kickbacks from the manufacturer.
McDonald’s Ice Cream Machine Hackers Say They Found the ‘Smoking Gun’ That Killed Their Startup
Submitted 10 months ago by misk@sopuli.xyz to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.wired.com/story/kytch-taylor-mcdonalds-ice-cream-machine-smoking-gun/
Comments
Diplomjodler@feddit.de 10 months ago
Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 10 months ago
They own the manufacturer and their “tenants” have to pay the manufacturer for repairs.
prole@sh.itjust.works 10 months ago
Maybe you’re new to this story, but the entire point is that the machines have been purposely kept out of order.
It’s an actual, legit conspiracy and worth looking into
AnonStoleMyPants@sopuli.xyz 10 months ago
Big corporations doing shady shit fucking over (or buying out) small companies trying to fix the shady shit to make the lives of the customers of said big business a bit easier.
Not sure what to say. Seems like the standard nowadays.
onlinepersona@programming.dev 10 months ago
If you depend on the good will of a company to exist, you better have a backup plan. In the pyramid of control, they are are the bottom and will be squished as soon as you become an inconvenience aka hurt the bottom line.
ikidd@lemmy.world 10 months ago
If I ran a company where a third of the time one of the machines was down, I’d be looking for a different supplier of that machine. IDK why McD and their franchisees would put up with that sort of incompetence.
almost1337@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Because the franchisees pay for the machines, and McDonald’s corporate gets sweet kickbacks for locking them in to using those machines exclusively. And Taylor makes bank on service fees to repair “broken” machines.
Thcdenton@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I just want a fucking mcflurry
WordBox@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Would you like your 10 bits of flavor at the top or bottom?
zammy95@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I know no one’s going to like the pay more money option, but I know on the app you can tell them to put 3x as many toppings in. It’s almost TOO much, but damn is it good.
anonymouse@lemmings.world 10 months ago
Summary judgment seems unlikely given the vagueness of the email. But maybe it gives Taylor more incentive to offer a decent settlement to Kytch. If it goes to trial, will be interesting to see how it plays out.
aard@kyu.de 10 months ago
Summary judgment seems unlikely given the vagueness of the email.
In other circumstances that kind of phrasing would be interpreted of intent to commit illegal activity - so I’d hope large companies can’t just get away with openly planning shit by just ensuring vague phrasing.
raynethackery@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Sounds like collusion to me. Too bad a RICO case can’t be made in criminal court. I haven’t had a mcflurry in years and now I never will. Can I be on the jury?
PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Paywalled.
misk@sopuli.xyz 10 months ago
Article added to post body now.
DacoTaco@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Thanks for doing so!
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Archived link archive.ph/fouWj
Varyk@sh.itjust.works 6 months ago
Uh-Oh, now kytch is getting sued by the law firm they were using to sue Taylor because kytch apparently hasn’t paid that law firm.
lawrence@lemmy.world 10 months ago
TLDR:
Kytch, a startup, developed a device to fix McDonald’s ice cream machines but faced opposition after a 2020 McDonald’s email warning against its use, citing safety concerns. Kytch alleges this move, influenced by machine manufacturer Taylor, was to undermine them as a competitor. Recent litigation reveals an email from Taylor’s CEO suggesting action against Kytch, which Kytch claims as evidence of a plot to sabotage their business.
Despite Taylor and McDonald’s denials, Kytch continues legal action, asserting the email demonstrates a coordinated effort to eliminate competition.
Lophostemon@aussie.zone 10 months ago
Corporate infighting in the macabre world of feeding people shit instead of real food.
whodatdair@lemm.ee 10 months ago
lol, funny thing is that this isn’t really a story about ice cream machines - anyone who’s seen melted mcds ice cream foam knows that ain’t ice cream.
The frozen foam machines were intentionally hard to fix but someone figured it out and made a solution. Mcd was making money off fleecing franchise owners by having their company be the only ones who could fix it, so it looks like they did shady stuff to keep the grift going. For the ice foam. 🍦
ericisshort@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Except it isn’t “corporate infighting” because, that would imply it’s fighting within a corporation when it’s simply fighting between a corporate machinery supplier and a competing startup that’s alleging illegal coordination and slander.