On February 12, I visited the McDonald's in Boston's Chinatown. The following week, on February 18, I visited the Starbucks food court at City Place in Boston. These two fast food establishments may differ in appearance, but I observed many similarities in how each followed the McDonaldization process, including four specific principles. Although McDonaldization can be beneficial, this fast food system seems to have as many disadvantages as advantages for society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayIn his book, The McDonaldization of Society, sociologist George Ritzer describes the four principles of McDonaldization. The first of these principles is efficiency, defined as “the optimal method of getting from one point to another” (Ritzer 13). During my visit to each, McDonald's and Starbucks both had effective methods in place to ensure their customers ordered and received their food and/or drink as quickly as possible. I found that McDonald's was much quicker to get the order out to customers, since most of the food is prepared in advance. I ordered a milkshake from McDonald's, which was dispensed from a machine and delivered to me in less than a minute. Starbucks also uses this predefined practice. All food items, such as sandwiches and bagels, are prepared earlier in the day and then reheated when ordered. On the other hand, Starbucks baristas manually prepare their specialty drinks (or anything that isn't plain coffee), right after customer orders. At slower times of the day, like 1 p.m. when I visited, Starbucks' efficiency is rarely an issue. However, during the busiest times of the day (8 a.m. or noon), I noticed customers crowded near the barista counter, waiting for their food or drink. This is especially a problem at Starbucks stores where standing room is scarce, including at City Place. I noticed another difference in efficiency when the McDonald's employee who handed me my drink asked me how many creams I wanted (I found this strange since I had ordered a milkshake). In contrast, Starbucks has a milk and sugar counter to save the barista's time and effort. The next principle Ritzer evaluates is calculability, defined as a focus on “quantitative aspects of products sold (portion, size, cost) and services.” offered (the time required to obtain the product)” (Ritzer 14). I noticed that McDonald's and Starbucks approach computability through different versions of the same method. Both stores have methods of making their customers believe they are getting value for their money. While McDonald's offers the Dollar Menu, Starbucks' drink sizes are named so that each drink appears to be one large drink. The smallest size at Starbucks is called "large", with the two largest sizes being "grande" and "venti". Nonetheless, McDonald's offers its customers more bang for their buck than Starbucks. Most drinks on the Starbucks menu start at just over four dollars. Ritzer writes that Starbuck's high prices contribute to its efforts to establish itself as a sophisticated product. He states, "This is an upscale, 'classy' show, not the cheap, gaudy kind you see at the McDonald's down the street" (Ritzer 175). How quickly one can receive their food or drinks in bothstores also plays a role in calculability. Ordering a meal from McDonald's is much quicker than preparing one at home. Ordering a drink from Starbucks is arguably less complicated than making one at home, although it is convenient for those who want a cup of coffee "on the go." The next principle of McDonaldization is predictability, which Ritzer defines as "the assurance that products and services will be the same over time and across locations" (Ritzer 14). McDonald's and Starbucks have the same interior concepts in each location. At McDonald's, it's usually white tiled floors and stiff chairs. Starbucks cafes often follow a casual, rustic theme, with employees dressed in black under their green aprons. Starbucks also has several items sold in each store, such as instant coffee cups or bags. McDonald's and Starbucks employees both follow similar scripts when taking orders, such as "Would you like a drink with your food?" or “Would you like some whipped cream?” Predictability is also reflected in the quality of McDonald's and Starbucks products at each location. One of the main selling points of both stores is the fact that the products will taste the same regardless of location. A McDonald's cheeseburger from New York will taste the same as a McDonald's cheeseburger from Boston. This is reassuring for customers who are just looking to eat and not looking to try something new. However, I often find that Starbucks is very unpredictable about the availability of their food items, unlike McDonald's. On this particular visit, to Starbucks, I ordered a grilled cheese with my drink. The employee taking my order informed me that the store was out of sandwiches for the day. I find this sometimes happens later in the day, but this was the first time I experienced this so early in the afternoon. Another aspect of both stores' predictability is their exclusive items for the season. During my visit to McDonald's, I ordered a Shamrock Shake. This mint milkshake is only available from mid-February to mid-March and only became available in all U.S. stores in 2012. Likewise, Starbucks offers several seasonal drinks, including the most famous is the famous Pumpkin Spice Latte. This drink is available in the fall and celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2013. Fans of these two seasonal drinks eagerly await their return each year, knowing exactly what to expect come September or February. The final principle of McDonaldization is control, which is “exercised over the people who enter the world” of McDonald’s or Starbucks (Ritzer 15). Employees are trained to perform tasks and are expected to perform them the same way every time. Ritzer comments that McDonald's strives to control customers according to its own philosophy: "eat fast and leave." He states, “The lines, limited menu, few options, and uncomfortable seating all lead diners to do what management wants them to do” (Ritzer 15). During my trip to McDonald's, I wanted to finish my drink and leave as soon as possible. Rather, I brought work with me on my trip to Starbucks with the intention of staying after I received my order. Control is also present through the non-human technologies that McDonald's and Starbucks possess. Starbucks baristas learn how to use espresso machines, just like McDonald's employees learn how to use milkshake or ice cream machines. This allows..