Update: I went to Quarter Pounder in Shibuya after work today, pictures at the end of the post and also a picture from the Omotesando shop after going there Saturday.
On Saturday i thought i was seeing things, i noticed a girl walking from Yoyogi Station with a “Quarter Pounder” bag in her hand. It wasn’t a McDonalds bag but it was sort of close. I detoured to my local McDonalds and confirmed they haven’t introduced the Quarter Pounder to the menu, somthing i’ve always hoped would come to Japan.
I then find out, not only has the Quarter Pounder come to Japan, there’s a whole shop that that’s all they sell, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, starting price 600 yen set and the regular Quarter Pounder with Cheese for a 500 yen set.
I hear there’s a line, surprise surprise, but i have to have a crack and try and buy one of these this weekend.
Shops are in Omotosando and Shibuya, 2 places i’m sure will get massive amounts of traffic due to the youth that knock around in these areas.
Some people bump their gums and say “why come all the way to Japan and eat McDonald’s?” well, it can’t be sushi all the time every day, sometimes you need something quick and easy and familiar from back home.
On average i’d eat McDonalds once per week, usually on weekends when i don’t fancy something as heavy as Ramen and considering the amount of McDonalds restaurants there are in Japan and the amount of locals eating in them, it’s as good as option as any.
Check out the super basic Quarter Pounder website for more info.
Update after i went to the store, after writing this post i just had to check it out.
I stopped by the Shibuya Quarter Pounder store Wednesday night after work, it was a little hard to spot considering there was no line in sight.
The store is laid out very casual with couches and proper seating, not the sort of thing you expect to find in a fast food place.
With everything black or red it felt like i was in a night club not a burger joint.
On the the burger, the menu is simple, 2 items, the double or the regular Quarter Pounder set. I went the regular.
It looked like a regular Quarter Pounder, just like the ones from home.
More importantly, it tasted like a Quarter Pounder, fantastic. I’m a fan, but i think the Krispy Kreme type mania McDonalds were hoping for just ins’t there.
This last picture is from the Omotesando Quarter Pounder shop on Saturday.
Stop by and check out Quarter Pounder for yourself in either Omotosando or Shibuya both maps can be found here.
If you have a Japanese Girlfriend be sure to take her there, they love everything “famous”
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That’s interesting. I wouldn’t consider ramen heavier than hamburgers, and mind I always have tonkotsu ramen here in Fukuoka. I love the way we all are so different.
After a massive bowl of Ramen i often find myself wanting to go home for a kip, maybe i’m just eating too much. Also happens that i’m not a big fan of green tea and water just doesn’t cut it so i have a beer with my Ramen …. this can also be a problem when lunch is first meal of the day for me on weekends … it’s all down hill from lunch.
I see. You can’t have beer at McD.
As for me I just can’t drink beer, just a mouthful will fill me up and I like eating more than drinking so I just avoid beer altogether. I’m more of a shochu man
I agree with you Neil. The burgers at McDonalds are comparatively smaller than the burgers in the U.S., which is a good thing, but it doesn’t make as satisfying a meal as a big ginormous bowl of noodles and broth and spicy stuff does.
No way is it as satisfying in the long run, often i walk out of Maccas and the only thing i can say i’ve achieved is i’m no longer hungry, a bowl or Ramen on the other hand is a taste sensation.
nice find! gotta try it out soonish
Apparently this is a viral marketing scheme by McDonalds to try and recreate the Krispy Kreme-mania a couple years ago–
http://meta.neojaponisme.com/2008/11/04/mcdonalds-goes-viral/
So far it has worked on me. At least in the sense that I went far enough as to check the site’s registration info to try and figure out who was behind it, only to find it was registered to the advertising firm Dentsu.
I went to the Shibuya store after work tonight, no line, no hysteria, it’s a flop if they were hoping for mass crowds like Krispy Kreme.
Not sure what the crazy folks were thinking. To bring the thread back full circle, the deco and interior look like an upscale ramen shop, not a burger-and-fries joint. The sparse menu is pretty weird, too. I mean, even at ramen places where they specialize in a certain flavor of ramen, there’s a *little* wiggle room for variety. This is, like, get your Royale with Cheese and get out.
I don’t think it will be a hit mate, the Shibuya shops isn’t convenient to get to nor is it in a massive traffic zone … still, as long as it’s open i’ll give it a crack from time to time.
I am leaving Adachi now just to go to and check out this shop. I know it sounds silly to go out just to have a Quarter Pounder but the shop itself is odd to me. An entire shop just for the Quarter Pounder?
Anyway, I wanted a reason to go out today and this is good enough for me. Thanks for finding this Neil.
It’s EXACTLY like the Quarter Pounder as i remember it.
I checked out the place today. It was very odd. Your right it was just like a night club! The food was good all the same.
2 minutes ago: “What the hell is a Quarter Pounder? Once more a burger not purchaseable in Germany?”
1 minute 30 seconds ago: “Wiki-sensei, show me your knowledge!”
1 minute 10 seconds ago: “Aaaah! The Quarter Pounder is called Hamburger Royal here – how it seems. Okay.”
What was our today’s lesson? Big M is still not completely globalized.
Ahhh, the Royale, i think that’s common in several places around Europe and close by regions.
That place looks faaaaaaaaaancy!
I was walking on Meiji-dori a few weeks ago as the shop opened, there were girls and guys on all 4 corners of the main intersection (gap, condomania, etc..) and picked up a flyer.
I was super excited to have a new burger shop, but a little disappointed to find out it was just McD’s. I wonder how long they’ll last, and if they end up as regular McD’s in a few months or less.
I think interest is already waning …. the Shibuya store wasn’t that busy when i went and the Harajuku one had a small line for a few mins on Saturday.
Soon most Japanese people will be as fat as Americans. Fat ignorant pigs. Next they will be banning vitamins, like they are trying to do here. Get real, stop eating that stuff; start to think, before it’s too late.
This is interesting. Is there a rationale for going brand-free?
Not really sure, the novelty factor makes it big here though.
I waiting (hoping?) for “Big Mac” to open soon near my place…
seems nice will try it soon!!
oops, I’ll try again….
I got some more info from McDonald’s Japan on these stores.
In no way is this brand-free…the Quarter Pounder is one of McDonald’s brands.
A press release from McDonald’s (at least according to a few other blogs) says that this is just to create buzz marketing for the Quarter Pounder (not yet on menus at McDonald’s in Japan) as it’s introduced.
Dr. Tantillo’s just published a post on McDonald’s on his marketing blog, in which he praises McDonald’s for being so flexible and adapting to demand but prefaced this with: “The big things about McDonald’s cosmetic image (i.e., colors, designs, clown mascot) have never essentially changed. Neither has the basic serving and restaurant setup.”
Guess they are even more flexible though… Tantillo’s full post
Even though this is supposed to just be temporary/buzz marketing, I wonder if cultivating this sort of aesthetic wouldn’t make sense for them–a move to diversify their holdings (they own a significant portion of Chipotle, or did last I knew) and expand/diversify their customer base (Ex. their ‘unsnobby coffee’ campaign. Tantillo did a post on
Starbucks/Dunkin’ Donuts mentioning McDonald’s coffee, too.
The “flash” website is of Australia and Australian “xtras” what the hell is going on in the text, someone translate please!