JUST WHEN MCDONALD’S finally gets its act together–its stock price went from $16 to $30 and same-store sales experienced positive earnings for 11 consecutive months–the man responsible for the miraculous turnaround, 60-year-old CEO Jim Cantalupo, died of an apparent and sudden heart attack on Monday while attending a corporate convention in Orlando. Later that day, the board of directors swiftly elected chief operating officer and president Charlie Bell, 43, to the top spot. The board announced that although “we can never replace Jim’s brilliance or leadership . . . we will honor him by continuing his passion for McDonald’s.”
The company stock did slip slightly, closing Monday night at $26.75, but it seems certain that Cantalupo’s successor will continue to implement the late CEO’s vision of a quality franchise with reliable service and healthy choices. Bell, like his predecessor, is a long-time member of the McDonald’s family–in fact, at age 19, he was the youngest store manager in his native Australia. He was a member of the board of directors before he was even 30.
Still, prior to Cantalupo’s death, there were some indications that the focus on healthier lifestyles was going too far. In addition to the white meat chicken McNuggets (which are more tender than their earlier, darker incarnation) and premium salads, McDonald’s recently unveiled the “Go Active! Adult Happy Meal,” consisting of a salad (Cobb, Caesar, or Ranch), bottled water, and a Stepometer–a device that keeps track of how many steps you take, allowing you to figure out the number of calories burned from, say, a walk from your car in the McDonald’s parking lot to the register and back. The meals will also include a brochure by Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer, that, in the words of a press release, “promotes walking as an attainable–and effective–exercise goal.”
And don’t forget about the children, who will soon have “New Happy Meal Choices” such as sliced apples (called Apple Dippers) that can be dunked in a low-fat caramel sauce, apple juice, and 1 percent milk jugs. Walk into your local McDonald’s and you will also find nutrition charts breaking down your order. Soon you might see these charts on the products themselves. And if that isn’t enough, you can go to the McDonald’s website and check out the new Bag-a-McMeal, which helps you figure out your caloric intake from the privacy of your own home. I decided to bag a meal myself, using former NBA star Charles Barkley’s personal preferences. Barkley once said his favorite McDonald’s meal was two Filet-O-Fishes, large fries, and a large Diet Coke. According to Bag-a-McMeal, the Barkley combo comes to 1,340 calories and 65 grams of fat–101 percent of my daily allowance.
Also returning to elementary schools is the curiously named Willie Munchright, who, according to McDonald’s, is “a fun-loving, purple clay animation kid who uses exciting adventures and memorable rhymes,” such as “So why be shy? Give new foods a try” and “Is it okay to eat cake everyday?” (Why is he purple? Is this Ronald and Grimace’s love-child?)
Cantalupo knew the issue of obesity would plague McDonald’s–from a legal standpoint at least–unless he did something about it. Thus he ended the “Super-Sizing” of French fries (though a large order of fries has become quite a heaping portion) and introduced the healthier alternatives. In one of the lawsuits, plaintiff Jazlyn Bradley was 5’6″ and almost 300 pounds when the suit was filed two years ago. Her father told People magazine, “If you had told me the food was unhealthy, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Though the courts did not move forward with the case, Cantalupo must have sensed it was only the beginning. In fact, coming to theaters on May 7 is the documentary Super Size Me, in which director Morgan Spurlock goes on a McDonald’s diet for 30 days. None of this is good publicity and thus, Cantalupo went on the offensive. But how far would he have gone had he lived? Would Cantalupo’s next move have been the removal of the Quarter Pounder? How long before he would’ve eliminated the Big Mac? And will the company ever bring back the McRib on a national level? (It’s currently available in Chicago.)
Admittedly, under Cantalupo’s stewardship we first had the pleasure of tasting the McGriddle breakfast sandwich– eggs, sausage, and pancakes rolled into one. Yet the overriding theme has been healthier choices. But do people really want to go to McDonald’s for salad and mineral water? Willie Munchright says yes.
AFTER CONDUCTING an exhaustive “national recruiting effort,” Georgetown University announced yesterday its choice to replace the recently fired Craig Esherick as coach of men’s basketball: John Thompson III.
Despite rumors that Georgetown was interested in Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins, according to insiders Thompson, the head coach of Princeton, was always the first choice. Sportswriter John Feinstein remembers talking with the coach’s father, Hall of Famer John Thompson Jr., in Raleigh last month: “Everything the old man said to me indicated that he thought John should take the job and that he would take the job.” (Thus it seems he was given a month to mull it over.)
At 38, Thompson brings his four years experience as head coach of the Princeton Tigers, where he led them twice to the NCAA tournament and ended with a 68-42 record. (Incidentally, after graduating from Gonzaga high school, he chose not to attend Georgetown and play for his father–unlike his brother–and instead went to Princeton, playing for Pete Carrill, and eventually becoming an assistant coach there.)
Emails from alumni regarding the hire soon began flooding my own inbox. Many greeted the decision with trepidation. “Unbelievable! Of every coach out there we go back to the ‘family,'” wrote Brian Potts, Class of 1995. “I suspect we’ll be seeing more of the towel, double fists, and lack of outside shooting. But I hope I am wrong.” Asked another, “Why didn’t we just get Red Auerbach IV?” The choice of Thompson has made some suspicious of nepotism, the elder Thompson’s continued clout, and the decision-making process at Georgetown.
“It seems apparent to me very little is going to change in terms of the way the program is run,” said Feinstein. “They’re still going to be secretive, they’re still going to keep their players away from the media. But if John III gets good players and wins, no one will care.” Indeed, Feinstein considers him to be “a very good coach” and as for recruiting, “obviously you have to recruit a different level of athlete at Georgetown and the Big East than you have at Princeton, but you also have a much broader pool you can work with academically. I think as with any coach it’s important who he’s going to hire as his assistants and their ability to get out and chase players and get the kind that will get them out of 12th place.” Still is no word if Esherick assistants Jaren Jackson and Chuck Driesell (son of Lefty) will remain part of Hoya Nation.
IT IS LIKELY next season will be as much of a struggle as this season was (in which the team finished 13-15 and failed to make it a postseason for the first time in 30 years). But the players could certainly have a new sense of mission and greater enthusiasm than they had in the past.
But does the hiring of John Thompson III mean a greater role for the father? “John will make a point of staying out of the limelight,” thinks Feinstein. “But if you’re John III and you don’t seek your father’s advice, you’re crazy. Who knows more about how to build a program at Georgetown than John Thompson?”
Victorino Matus is an assistant managing editor at The Weekly Standard.
