HW 3 - Food - Fast Food Insights and Green Market Realizations

Mcdonalds and the union square greenmarket are very different in many ways. Both sell different types of food, both are processed different and sold differently but fast food's success comes from being more commercial, and cheaper. The most obvious of these difference between the two is that Mcdonalds is fast food (which is unhealthy) while the green market is considered to be healthy. The one similarity i noticed is that people of all ethnic groups ate at both locations. I think this is because no matter what race, certain foods appeal to all types of people. Here are some main differences i noticed between Mcdonalds and the union square green market.

The layout of Mcdonalds was a restaurant. In Mcdonalds i noticed a lot of signs for the food they were trying to sell. These signs had enlarged pictures of the food to show the texture and detail to make it look more appealing. This led me to think that this advertising played a major role in convincing customers to choose Mcdonalds over any other place to eat. The signs had large text, to signify the prices being lower than most fast food restaurants. The lighting of the restaurant was dim, and the layout was made to look fancy. From the way the chairs were arranged to the finish of the tables. Another thing i noticed was the clever names Mcdonalds gave the foods they were trying to sell (big mac,mcdouble).

The layout of the union square greenmarket was obviously a market, with rows of people with tents trying to sell organic products. Unlike Mcdonalds, the people that worked in the greenmarket selling the food were a lot more "people friendly". They had a positive attitude and even had free samples to give to customers. I noticed that unlike Mcdonalds the names for the products weren't trying to be anything fancy. When comparing the two places, i noticed that a big reason fast food is so successful is because the food is everywhere. On billboards, subway ads any where you look you'll find an ad for at least one fast food restaurant. Places to find organic products are more out of the way and are less "in our faces". The green market isn't in union square everyday.

Overall both the union square greenmarket and Mcdonalds are very different. Both sell different types of food, both are processed different and sold differently but fast food's success comes from being more commercial, and cheaper.