Black McDonald’s operators detail history of alleged racial discrimination in lawsuit
For 25 years, Robert Bonner was committed to working under McDonald’s iconic Golden Arches. But by the time the native Floridian had severed ties with the franchise founded in Des Plaines by Ray Kroc in 1955, he burned everything that was related to the restaurant chain — awards, shirts, valuable collectibles — in his backyard.
Bonner was the owner-operator of six McDonald’s stores in Illinois and the St. Louis region. But he left the chain after enduring numerous alleged racist actions from McDonald’s that he says impeded his opportunity for entrepreneurial growth and generational wealth.
“Those Golden Arches … you have the belief that at some point this is going to go the way you were promised it would go,” he said. “The day you get the keys, it becomes an us and them mentality, corporate versus the people who run the store.”
Bonner is among dozens of Black McDonald’s store owners around the nation demanding a jury trial in a racial discrimination and breach of contract lawsuit against McDonald’s Corp. and McDonald’s USA, LLC. This June, Bonner was among more than 40 plaintiffs who called for a boycott of the franchise. The Chicago-based civil rights law firm of Loevy + Loevy filed the federal suit in 2023, stating Black owner and operators were forced out of the company over internal practices and policies that include, among others, forcing Black owners into low-profit stores in areas with high crime rates and denying Black franchisees the ability to buy stores in white communities.
Imagineering show digs into details of Disney castles
The new installment of the “We Call It Imagineering” web series takes a worldwide tour of Disney theme park castles.
The “Building Castles” episode features the kind of details that only Imagineers can drop, including tidbits regarding upcoming changes to Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle.
The 28-minute show, available on YouTube, delves into historical matters with former Imagineer Tom Morris and into the future with Zach Riddley, an Imagineering strategist, who has duties regarding the planned theme park Disneyland Abu Dhabi.
Our house
Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle gets a lot of love in the episode, including its coloring, the not-so-secret suite, projection-show challenges and the oft-discussed forced perspective, design tricks that make the structure look taller than its 189 feet.
“The shingles even are forced perspective. So the shingles get smaller as we go up. We enhance that illusion with lighter colors as the castle gets higher,” said Colleen Meyers, executive color design and paint with Walt Disney Imagineering.
Cracker Barrel suspends plans to remodel restaurants after logo blowup
By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Business Writer
Cracker Barrel said Tuesday it’s suspending remodels of its restaurants after criticism from many longtime fans.
The announcement came two weeks after Cracker Barrel backtracked on a separate plan to modernize and simplify its logo. Fans of the chain had also loudly criticized that move.
Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel said Tuesday that just four of its 660 restaurants had been remodeled as part of a test for the brand. The remodels, which began last year, added more comfortable seating, brighter lights, lighter paint and a simplified assortment of antiques but kept signature elements like fireplaces.
“We heard clearly that the modern remodel design does not reflect what you love about Cracker Barrel,” the company said in a statement. “Of course, we will continue to invest in our restaurants to make sure that they are in good shape and meet your expectations.”
Cracker Barrel announced a transformation plan in May 2024 under its new CEO, Julie Felss Masino, a former executive at Taco Bell and Starbucks. Masino said Cracker Barrel was losing its relevance and needed some changes to boost customer traffic. In addition to remodeled stores, the chain planned new dinner menu items and more efficient kitchens.
US household income rose slightly last year, roughly matching 2019 level
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The income for the typical U.S. household barely rose last year and essentially matched its 2019 peak, the Census Bureau said Tuesday, a stark illustration of the impact that the pandemic inflation spike had on Americans’ finances.
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The report also showed that the highest-earning households received healthy inflation-adjusted income increases, while middle- and lower-income households saw little gain.
Median household income, adjusted for inflation, in 2024 was $83,730, the Census Bureau said, a 1.3% increase from the previous year’s level of $82,690. The median is the midpoint between the highest- and lowest-income households, and helps filter out the impact of very high and very low incomes that can skew averages.