(Photo courtesy of msn.org) “After McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski went viral for his Big Arch taste test, other fast-food executives decided to join in on the fun.“

Aaron Preziosi
Connector Editor

By now everyone has seen the video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski trying the new Big Arch sandwich, if one could even call the miniscule morsel he extracted from what might pass as a burger a “bite.” This spawned many reaction videos and clapbacks from other CEOs from companies such as Burger King and Costco, flaming Kempczinski for his hesitance to partake of the food his company creates, as if he silently admitted that it’s barely food at all and shouldn’t be eaten. However, the imagery of the CEO of one of the oldest, most well-known fast food chains in the world refusing to enjoy the food his company creates and referring to a sandwich as a “product” bummed me out and got me thinking about how fast food has changed in the past few years. 

What the hell is going on? Sure, fast food was never regarded for its high quality or nutritional value, but it was fast, as well as cheap and consistent. When I worked for McDonald’s in high school, the two-cheeseburger, drink and fry combo was nine dollars. Maybe ten, if you got a large. When I went just the other day, it was thirteen dollars! I could go to Pressed in Chelmsford or something and get an amazing gourmet sandwich for a similar price, so what’s the point of spending that on crappy beef patties, cheap buns and fake cheese with a side of old and stale or soggy fries, especially when you have to pull over and wait half the time? 

The same thing has been happening in other places, too. “High end” places such as Chipotle have been suffering similarly as well. You end up spending fourteen to fifteen bucks per person, and they barely give you any meat. Once again, I could go to Mexica in Billerica or Tewksbury for the same price and end up getting a larger bowl or burrito with similar but higher quality ingredients. Plus, they have churros. 

I think the decline in fast-food marks a shift in our culture, to be honest. We shouldn’t be eating out of the hands of these enormous corporations who see what they make as “products” rather than food, and wouldn’t be caught dead eating those products themselves, especially since they can no longer beat other restaurants when it comes to price. There’s so many small, independent restaurants or even good chains in our communities and its high time they get the business they deserve. They’re led by average people with a real passion for feeding people, not businesspeople who would rather maximize profits and cut costs. 

Here’s some of my favorite places. Give them your money instead of someone who won’t even eat his own sandwich: 

Mexica Burrito Grill (Billerica and Tewksbury): Build-your-own burrito place. It’s like chipotle, but fresher and smaller. They offer burritos, bowls, tacos and nachos, and they have drinks and desserts too. The churros are amazing. They even have alcohol at the Tewksbury location. 

Pressed (Chelmsford): Sandwich, coffee and juice café. This place is great. The atmosphere is nice, there’s plenty of seats and the food comes out fast. The drinks are pricey, but they are also delicious, and they have take-home pastries, drinks and side dishes too. They also have a drive-thru. 

Augusta’s (Billerica): Sub shop known for their chicken bites. You’ve probably heard of this place, and for good reasons. While their prices have gone up recently due to their expanding business, they have the portions to back it up. They load their sandwiches up high and if you order the chicken bites they absolutely pack the box full. 

Taqueria Sabor Chilango (Billerica): This is a smaller, family-owned taqueria with a great menu. They’ve got all kinds of authentic Mexico City street foods, and even offerings like lengua and chorizo. Absolutely worth visiting. 

Cobblestones (Lowell): Right down the street from North Campus, this place has great American offerings like steaks, burgers and seafood. My personal favorite dish has to be their take on Chicken Marsala. The sauce is rich and velvety, but not too thick or overseasoned, and the chicken is always tender and lightly breaded. The pasta comes out perfectly al dente as well. 

So please, with all of this in mind, go try some good food in your local neighborhood and stop giving fast food restaurants your money.