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Starbucks to coffee is what McDonald’s is to food. Nothing premium about it.

McDonald’s is somewhat premium in many countries, the idea that it's poor people food is US-only but isn't even true here. Poor people work at McDonald’s, they don't eat at it.

McDonalds might be premium compared to a roadside food stall, but it's on the low end of the spectrum in first world countries. Anywhere I have traveled, McDonald's was just the emergency option if you just really needed food that wouldn't give you food poisoning.

Also, poor people absolutely eat there. All those poor people working there get free food and employee discounts, others use the app, or they eat there once in a while as an alternative to more expensive restaurants.

Don't know which ones you're going to, but Australia and Japan are very first world countries and they love McDonald's there. (I think US McDs is better than Japan's though.)

Maybe I get that impression a little less in the UK, but that's only because their food isn't bad enough for British people to like it when they could be eating smack barm pey wet.

Also, by somewhat premium I mean in the same category as Starbucks, not a sit down restaurant.

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