New Book – McDonaldization: The Reader

January 29, 2010

McDonaldization: The Reader is a follow-up to The McDonaldization of Society (2008), in which the business model of the McDonald’s chain is examined for its influence on contemporary society.

McDonaldization is defined as “the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of  the rest of the world.”

This new edition includes some fascinating articles, such as “Jihad vs. McWorld,” “Domesticating the French Fry: McDonald’s and Consumerism in Moscow,” as well as discussions of McDonaldization and men’s body shaping, Internet 2.0, junk journalism, and cruise tourism.

McDonaldization: The Reader can be found on the New Book shelf in the Nestlé Library.

Leave a Comment » | New Books, Restaurants | Permalink
Posted by Nestlé Library

Restaurant Sales to Stabilize in 2010

January 25, 2010

According to the National Restaurant Association, the U.S. restaurant industry should expect a gradual recovery this year, as consumers ease recession-era spending cuts. Adjusted for inflation, the report calls for sales to be essentially flat in 2010, up from a 2.9% drop last year. “The past two years have been a very challenging time for our industry,” said NRA President and CEO Dawn Sweeney. “While there are still substantial challenges ahead, we are encouraged that the outlook is improving.”

Restaurants will continue to be strong contributors to the recovery of the nation’s economy, with industry sales representing 4 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and employees comprising 9 percent of the U.S. workforce.

Cornell students have access to restaurant performance data from the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Operations Report, available in the library.

Leave a Comment » | Industry Associations, Restaurants | Permalink
Posted by Nestlé Library

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