McDonald's and the pizza experiment

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: McDonald's and the pizza experiment

Warm-up

Have you ever eaten at McDonald's? (Yes, I have... / No, I haven't...)

Vocabulary Match

attracting •• started
customers •• fight
return •• people
compete •• bringing
introduced •• places
locations •• come back

Vocabulary Answers

attractingbringing
customerspeople
returncome back
competefight
introducedstarted
locationsplaces

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Many people know McDonald's for its burgers and fries, but did you know they once sold pizza? In the 1980s, McDonald's ________ McPizza to ________ with pizza restaurants. At first, it was popular, but there was a problem - it took too long to cook. ________ were used to fast service, and waiting 10-15 minutes for a pizza was too long.

Other companies, like Pizza Hut, made fun of McDonald's pizza, calling it "McFrozen." By the late 1990s, most McDonald's restaurants stopped selling it. However, a few ________ kept McPizza for years, ________ fans. Today, it's gone, but many people still hope it will ________.

Many people know McDonald's for its burgers and fries, but did you know they once sold pizza? In the 1980s, McDonald's introduced McPizza to compete with pizza restaurants. At first, it was popular, but there was a problem - it took too long to cook. customers were used to fast service, and waiting 10-15 minutes for a pizza was too long.

Other companies, like Pizza Hut, made fun of McDonald's pizza, calling it "McFrozen." By the late 1990s, most McDonald's restaurants stopped selling it. However, a few locations kept McPizza for years, attracting fans. Today, it's gone, but many people still hope it will return.

Quiz

  1. What did McDonald's introduce in the 1980s?
  2. Why did McPizza not work well for McDonald's?
  3. Which company made fun of McDonald's pizza?
  4. What do some people hope will happen with McPizza?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. McDonald's introduced McPizza.
  2. It took too long to cook.
  3. Pizza Hut made fun of McDonald's pizza.
  4. Some people hope McPizza will return.

True or False

  1. McPizza was popular at first. T F
  2. Customers didn't like waiting for 10-15 minutes. T F
  3. Most Pizza Hut locations stopped selling McPizza. T F

True or False Answers

  1. True
  2. True
  3. False

Conversation

A:Hey, did you hear McDonald's used to sell pizza?
B:Yeah, I tried it! It took forever to make, though.
A:Really? I thought McDonald's was a fast food restaurant!
B:Exactly! I guess that's why it didn't last.
A:Do you think they'll ever bring it back?
B:I hope so. It was a nice alternative to burgers and fries.

Discussion

  1. Do you like eating pizza? What's your favorite kind?
  2. Would you wait 15 minutes for fast food? Why or why not?
  3. Do you think McDonald's should try selling pizza again?
  4. Have you ever tried a new food that was different from usual?

Further Reading

https://ceres.shop/blog/a-slice-of-history-the-saga-of-mcdonalds-illfated-mcpizza/

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