Episode 23
Jan 11, 2017
Show notes
Brian tells listeners that the Kickstarter has been successful and discusses various safety concerns. Brian proceeds to call multiple McDonald’s locations asking for the phone number for franchise owners. The first employee tells Brian he can only have the phone number by coming in and reading the number on the door. The second location gives Brian the owner’s contact information. The franchise owner is away, but the woman who answers the phone takes Brian’s information so that the owner can call him back.
Episode 22
Dec 29, 2016
Show notes
Brian reflects on his call with reporter Sarah Hawley and wonders about the clicking noise during their phone call. Brian calls a private investigator to find out if McDonald’s is tapping his phone. The investigator tells Brian that with current technology, he would not hear a recording device. He believes it is unlikely that McDonald’s would have had extended access to his phone in order to install a recording device in the first place. The investigator advises Brian that it would be a waste of money to hire a private investigator for his case.
Episode 21
Dec 27, 2016
Show notes
Brian contacts Sarah Hawley at the Pomeroy, Ohio Daily Sentinel to inquire about the Meigs Motel murder and McDonald’s pizza. Brian describes multiple strange occurrences during his investigation and asks if Hawley is aware of any connections between crime and the pizza. Brian asks if Hawley can recommend another place to stay. Brian calls the Holly Hill Inn at Hawley’s recommendation. The inn’s owner tells Brian that he remembers McDonald’s pizza tasting like cardboard and agrees that restaurants should stick to what they know. Brian asks the owner about security at his bed and breakfast and the murder at the Meigs Motel. The owner offers to pick up a secure lockbox for Brian’s pizza.
Episode 20
Dec 24, 2016
Show notes
Brian announces updates on his fundraising goal for a trip to Pomeroy, Ohio and announces his side investigation into the 2013 murder of a pedophile in the Pomeroy motel. Brian hopes to identify any potential connections between the murder and pizza at the nearby McDonald’s. Brian encourages listeners to join the podcast’s official Facebook group and to learn more about him by listening to his guest appearance on “Search for a Co-Host” (Episode 107).
Episode 19
Dec 16, 2016
Show notes
Brian calls a motel in Pomeroy, Ohio to inquire if the rooms have a safe, fridges that can fit a pizza box, and if he can reserve a room under an alias. The employee lets Brian know that the reservation requires a government ID but assures him that they have a strict privacy policy, cameras, and 24 hour staff. Brian asks the employee if she has tried the pizza at the Pomeroy location. She told him she has and that it tastes like frozen pizza from the grocery store. Brian questions the manager about a murder that occured in the motel in 2013, but she assures him that they have since updated their policies.
Episode 18
Dec 07, 2016
Show notes
Brian talks to Andrew, a former McDonald’s employee who worked in 1992 at a Canadian branch that sold pizza as a teenager. Andrew describes the crust as light and airy because the pizza was cooked quickly in the same oven as the pies. Andrew says the pizza took about 5.5 minutes to cook which was longer than most menu items. Andrew remembers a manager being frustrated that cooking pizza would slow down employees. Additionally, store supervisors would be frustrated if there were excess pizzas at the end of the day due to low profit margins. Despite loving the taste, Andrew did not see the pizza as a financially viable menu item. Andrew himself wonders whatever happened to the pizza at McDonald’s.
Episode 17
Dec 03, 2016
Show notes
Brian comments on the trailer for The Founder, a story about Ray Kroc and his purchase of McDonald’s. Brian questions the lack of pizza in the trailer. Brian runs into an Internet problem and asks listeners to pause and wait for his WiFi to reconnect. Brian ultimately gives up on his internet and expresses hope that the film will address the question of what happened to pizza at McDonald’s. The episode transitions to discussion about the kickstarter to raise funds for a trip to Pomeroy, Ohio to try McDonald’s pizza.
Episode 16
Nov 29, 2016
Show notes
Brian calls a McDonald’s location in Australia to ask if Australian locations ever served pizza. The employee directs Brian to the Australian website for answers. Brian calls a McDonald’s in France, asks the employee in French if they have pizza, and is hung up on. Brian calls a location in the U.K. and discovers that they sold pizza 15-20 years ago and is advised to call corporate for more information. Brian calls another location using an accent to inquire about pizza, but the employee cannot understand him.Brian gives the Panoply Network a final deadline to pick up the podcast, after which he will begin negotiations with Gimlet Media. Gimlet Media was selected via a poll on the podcast’s Twitter account.
Episode 15
Nov 20, 2016
Show notes
Brian discusses Reddit threads on which people wonder what happened to pizza at McDonald’s. Brian describes a post containing a picture of pizza purchased at the McDonald’s location in Pomeroy, Ohio. The title contains misinformation about the Pomeroy location being the only remaining location to serve pizza, but Brian is willing to overlook the mistake in search of comments that can explain why the pizza was discontinued. Other Reddit users describe their experience working at McDonald’s and recall the specifics of the pizza making process. Brian admits that he cannot verify the information on the thread but trusts the claim that McDonald’s pizza was made in the following order: crust, sauce, toppings, and then cheese. One user, Redditron-2000-4, describes ingredient overlap with onion, peppers, and cheese. Brian searches for Redditron-2000-4’s post history to uncover more details about McDonald’s pizza to no avail.
Episode 14
Nov 16, 2016
Show notes
Brian calls Crossroads 24 Hour Prayer Line to put in a prayer request about a crisis in his work life. Brian expresses concern that most support lines are busy due to the recent election results. The support line’s representative, Herald, tells Brian that people are calling on behalf of “God’s candidate,” who he believes to be Donald Trump. Herald refers Brian to John Paul Jackson and Dr. Wallnau’s “prophecy” on YouTube. Brian asks what the YouTubers say about Donald Trump, but Herald prefers to keep the call about Brian’s prayer request. Herald asks Brian if he has or wants a relationship with Jesus Christ. Brian agrees if it will help him in his professional life. Herald directs Brian to YouTube videos about Jesus’ resurrection. Brian asks Herald if he remembers McDonald’s Pizza and continues to question Herald about his support for Donald Trump. Herald prays for Brian.
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