Month: August 2019

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Here’s What It Costs to Open a Franchise of 10 Popular Fast Food Restaurants

Have you ever wanted to run your own fast food restaurant? It can be a good business idea – there’s a McDonald’s on every corner for a reason.

But how much does it cost to get that franchise off the ground and running?

If you’ve ever kicked around the idea of opening one of these joints, here’s what you need to know.

1. McDonald’s

You need to have a net worth of at least $500,000, and you’ll need to put down 40% of the total cost of a new Mickey D’s or 25% of an existing restaurant.

The corporate folks at McDonald’s also add, “There are limited opportunities to enter the program with less cash available (primarily in rural or urban areas), and, in some situations, the financial requirements may be substantially higher depending on the specifics of the transaction.”

2. Chick-fil-A

The popular chicken joint requires a down payment of $10,000 and there’s no net worth requirement specified. You have to be free of other active business ventures and assure the higher-ups that you’re going to run the restaurant full time with a hands-on approach. And here’s a heads-up: they’re pretty selective.

3. Starbucks

This seems like it would be a good investment even if you put it on the moon. But…I have some bad news: Starbucks doesn’t franchise in the U.S. or Canada.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz explained: “The culture and values of how we related to our customers, which is reflected in how the company relates to our [employees], would determine our success. And we thought the best way to have those kinds of universal values was to build around company-owned stores and then to provide stock options to every employee, to give them a financial and psychological stake in the company.”

4. Taco Bell

Oh yeah! I’d be down for owning one of these babies! You need an initial down payment of $45,000 and a net worth of $1.5 million with $750,000 personal liquidity. Okay, I’m out. But maybe you aren’t!

Also, franchisees need to operate the business day-to-day.

5. In-N-Out

If you’ve never had the pleasure of having an In-N-Out burger, you’re missing out. I just hope they keep spreading to the east coast, because once every couple years isn’t good enough for this guy.

Anyway, the company said they will “never” franchise their restaurants, so I might be screwed.

6. KFC

Ahhhh, good old KFC. A staple of every town and city across the land. To get in on the Colonel’s action, you need a $20,000 down payment, a net worth requirement of $1.5 million, with $750,000 in liquid assets. Pretty steep, friends.

7. Burger King

BK ain’t playing around. To get going, you need a $15,000 to $50,000 down payment and a net worth requirement: $3 million, with $1 million in liquid assets. And the interview process is pretty strict as well…

8. Sonic

As far as I’m concerned, we need more Sonic restaurants across our great nation. To become a Sonic franchisee, you need a down payment of $45,00 and a net worth requirement of $1 million. The restaurant claims you might end up with a total investment of anywhere from $1.22 to $3.53 million, and that doesn’t include the cost of the land.

9. Subway

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Hi, I’m Clare and I’ll be your sandwich artist today ??‍♀️? ⁣ ⁣ You may have heard the exciting news that @subway_ukireland has launched a new vegan sub and a vegan salad! Well, a few weeks ago I was invited to whip on some @subway_ukireland gear and try to make it as fast as I possibly could (Don’t mean to brag but 52 seconds for anyone who’s wondering ??) ⏰⁣ ⁣ ⁣ So, what’s it like?⁣ ?Vegan sub w/ a sweet pepper, red onion, spinach, garlic & chilli patty, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber & vegan garlic aioli. Both the Italian and hearty Italian breads are vegan. ⁣ ?£3.80 (6 inch – prices may vary) ✏ I wasn’t sure what to expect from the patty but I really enjoyed it! Whilst it’s made of veggies, it has quite a meaty sausage-like texture to it which gives the sandwich substance. I also really love the garlic aioli and they’re generous with the serving of it! It didn’t feel dry at any point, the fresh lettuce and red onion added a nice crunch. There’s a lot of red onion so you’ll taste like it for a while but I made my peace with that ? To be honest, this exceeded my expectations! Not bad at all ?? The salad is also delicious but perhaps not quite substantial enough for this little hungry vegan.⁣ ❓Order again? Yes⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ?Location: Various⁣ ?GF Options: No⁣ ?100% Vegan? Omni⁣ ?Eatery: Takeaway⁣ ?Affordability: £⁣ ?‍?Service: Fast (trust me!)⁣ ?Atmosphere: Casual⁣ ? @thebigjolleyvegan & me⁣ ?Leftovers: Nope⁣, ate the lot ?Website & Map: Link in bio⁣ ⁣?Dog friendly? Depends on store ⁣ Has anyone else tried it yet? What did you think? ?

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Calling all sandwich artists! You’ll need a down payment of $139,500 to $341,000, but there is no net worth requirement.

10. Arby’s

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#arbys #beefandcheddar #curlyfries #cherryturnover

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An Arby’s franchisee needs a down payment of $314,550 to $1.8 million and a net worth requirement of $1 million, with at least $500,000 in liquid assets. There’s a lot of horsey sauce to be purchased, folks.

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A Group of Heartbroken Scientists Wrote a Eulogy to Iceland’s First Disappeared Glacier

Scientists everywhere are in agreement that the climate of the world is changing rapidly, and that the results, should the problem go unchecked, will be disastrous. One of the first casualties are the world’s glaciers, like Iceland’s Okjokull (aka Ok), which officially melted away back in 2014.

Scientists at Rice University will install a plaque containing a eulogy for Ok, which will no doubt serve as a reminder for generations to come that there were those among us who tried very hard to do something.

Cymene Howe produced a 2018 film titled Not Ok that documented the glacier’s demise.

“This will be the first monument to a glacier lost to climate change anywhere in the world. By marking Ok’s passing, we hope to draw attention to what is being lost as Earth’s glaciers expire.”

Image Credit: Rice University

The plaque reads:

“Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier.
In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.
This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done.
Only you know if we did it.”

The plaque will also mark 2019 as the year the world hit 415ppm Co2 levels.

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Not Ok. ⁣ After a rocky climb to the summit of Ok yesterday, I stood amidst a vast field of newly exposed volcanic rock, staring at this icy blue puddle in the central crater. It was hard to fathom that just a few years ago, a glacier named Ok (pronounced ‘awk’) existed right here in the surrounds of this crater. ⁣ ⁣ In 2014, Okjökull was first Icelandic glacier to officially lose its glacial status as a result of human induced climate change, and is now considered only as a mountain. A new memorial plaque will soon be placed at the summit with the following words: ‘In the next 200 years all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it’.

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Not Ok‘s co-producer, Dominic Boyer, has high hopes that awareness can still be raised in time to make a difference.

“We wanted to create a lasting memorial to Ok, a small glacier that has a big story to tell. Ok was the first named Icelandic glacier to melt because of how humans have transformed the planet’s atmosphere. Its fate will be shared by all of Iceland’s glaciers unless we act now to radically curtail greenhouse gas emissions.”

According to the research done for the film, all of Iceland’s 400-ish glaciers could face the same fate as early as 2200.

Glaciers are the largest freshwater reserves on Earth and are also invaluable for the insights they provide into Earth’s atmosphere. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the world, and record temperatures are being recorded all over the globe. Wildfires are becoming common from Siberia to Greenland and sea ice is decreases rapidly, putting different animal species in danger.

“One of our Icelandic colleagues put it very wisely when he said, ‘Memorials are not for the dead; they are for the living,” said Howe. “With this memorial, we want to underscore that it is up to us, the living, to collectively respond to the rapid loss of glaciers and the ongoing impacts of climate change. For Ok glacier it is already too late; it is not what scientists call ‘dead ice.’”

Here’s hoping that when people read the plaque 100 years in the future, it marks the beginning of serious, focused action to reverse climate change and not the beginning of the end of the world as we know it.

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A Man Told a Woman to “Stop Speaking Spanish.” So Everybody Started Speaking Spanish.

The world can be a scary, sometimes confrontational place if you’re a minority. What makes those bad days worse, though, is when no one takes the time to stick up for you (or you know, be a decent human being).

That was not so on this day, though, when writer Jamie Primak found herself on the ugly end of a racist comment telling her to “stop speaking Spanish” on a flight.

Before she could gather herself and reply, the nearby flight attendant started to speak Spanish, too.

Everyone should have gotten up to dance – the flamenco or something equally Latin, just to top off the point.

Basically everyone on Twitter agreed, with most voicing a yearning to have been there…

….or to be in a similar situation one day…

…to put their own Spanish skills to work!

Seriously, in Europe and other parts of the world, people are celebrated for knowing more than one language! Imagine that!

Then again, it seems like some people don’t have that great a grip on what should and shouldn’t embarrass a person these days.

But more fun for us, right?

Just sayin… ?

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Rare Pennies Are Circulating out There Worth up to $200,000

Did you know that Americans throw away about $62 million each year by tossing coins in the trash, and pennies are the most frequently discarded coins of them all? A lot of people just don’t see pennies as valuable, and mostly they’re right. But some specific types of pennies are worth up to $200,000.

Coin collectors are willing to spend many thousands of dollars for coins that are precious in some way or another. For pennies, the value all depends on the coin’s quality and its rarity.

Pennies that are prized enough to fetch $200,000 are rare (obviously), but they’re out there, which means they could be in your pocket or change jar.

The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent, for example, is an extremely rare error coin that is easily worth $150,000 to $200,000 – or even more. Only a handful of these pennies have ever been found, and the most valuable one sold in 2010 for $1.7 million.

The 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse is another error coin in which the images and words were mistakenly doubled on the coin. They have sold for $35,000 to $75,000, depending on the condition.

The 1992 Close AM is a bit easier to find. These coins are unique because the A and M in the word “America” are touching, whereas usually there is a space between them. There were likely 250,000 pennies produced with this anomaly, and they can sell for anywhere from $2000 to over $20,000.

Other pennies that are easier to find, and therefore worth less, include the 1972 Doubled Die Obverse ($100-$500), 1995 Doubled Die Obverse (up to $45), the 1999 Wide AM (up to $500), and the 1983 Double Die Reverse (up to $200).

If you think you’ve found one of these pennies, consult a professional to evaluate it and help guide you through the selling process.

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15 Things That Really Bother Your Starbucks Barista

There are more than a few things that customers do that, after a few hundred shifts, really get under your skin if you work in the service industry.

Baristas serve coffee and delicious pastries day in and day out, and if there’s one making your mornings better (and more caffeinated), you’re going to want to make sure you’re not pissing them off by doing one of these 15 things.

15. Changing your order a million times.

Flat whites are my favorite drink to make from starbucks

You can’t just expect them to juggle ingredients and milks while you hem and haw.

14. Asking for ice water when you pick up your other order.

yes i have a venti water for free loader from starbucks

Just pay the 20 cents for the cup, loser.

13. Insisting they spell your name right.

Me: Ok can I have your name? Her: Sure, it’s Luci with an I. from starbucks

No, they don’t care.

12. Not using the trash can.

Anyone wanna tell me why another Starbucks made my gfs drink like this. She asked for whip and he dumped out her latte and put whip then a flat lid? She didn’t know any better to ask for a dome, there’s no way this could be policy right. from starbucks

Would your mother let you get away with that?

11. Acting like you’ve been waiting forever when you haven’t.

BOGO at Tarbucks with 1 espresso machine. FML from starbucks

There’s a system. We all need our coffee. Wait your turn.

10. Too many customizations.

Happy Sunday to everyone except Kate from starbucks

Seriously, you’re just trying to be difficult.

9. Getting annoyed if they ask you to repeat something.

When your SSV tells a car in DT it’s okay to place a 20 drink order… from starbucks

Big group orders are a pain no matter where you work.

8. Talking on the phone while you order.

This Starbucks has a TV screen menu??? from starbucks

This is so rude. Don’t do it.

7. Expecting them to interpret your mumble.

E-nunc-i-ate. Also it’s loud in here.

6. Not being ready when you get to the front of the line.

All of these drinks got placed in a mobile order 20 minutes before the 50% happy hour from starbucks

5. Pointing and ordering “that.”

Use your words, folks.

4. Asking “is that my drink?”

My name is Lucy from starbucks

Is your name on it? Then no.

3. Taking the wrong drink.

made a drink during my shift today that was so ungodly awful i had to make it for my friends and let them try it. it’s been accurately described as “pain in a cup” by another partner. from starbucks

Nope, still not your name.

2. Reaching over the counter.

My BOGO nightmare. All while our primary bar kept flooding the counter ? from starbucks

This is my dance space. This is your dance space.

1. Dumping your coffee in the trash to make room for cream.

View post on imgur.com

It’s called asking for “room” noobs.

Whew.

I think I’m good!

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Classical Illustrations Depict What Can Only Be Described as Japanese Fart Battles

If you’ve ever needed proof that potty humor in general has been around for years– fart humor in particular – these images depicting epic flatulence battles should do the trick.

Image Credit: Waseda University

There’s a centuries-old scroll called He-Gassen (“the fart war”) dating to Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868) that depicts men, rear ends bared, spraying powerful gusts of gas toward each other – gas that can break boards and cross wide battlefields to win the day.

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

Though the depictions aren’t entirely unique – Arabian Nights features a story titled “The Historic Fart” and Apocolocyntosis, a satire possibly written by Seneca, references a “shart” (“When he had made a great noise with that end of him which talked easiest, he cried out, ‘Oh dear, oh dear! I think I have made a mess of myself.’”)

And bathroom humor has a long history in European political dissent – this is a woodcut from 1545 entitled “Kissing the Pope’s Feet”:

Image Credit: Public Domain

But back to Japan…

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

In the Japanese art, Westerners in particular were apt to be blown away by the strength and prowess of the Japanese wind, so the scroll pictured also counts (crudely) as a political cartoon.

Image Credit: Waseda University

Image Credit: Waseda University

The creators of South Park have nothing on whoever created it, for sure.

If you want more (and of course you do), you can check out the full collection here.

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The Sunscreen You Wear May Be Harming the Environment

There are a lot of sunscreens that are claiming to be “reef friendly” these days.

Photo Credit: Public Domain Pictures

A new label on sunscreens allows consumers to see at a glance how safe the product is for ocean life. If you see the words “reef friendly” printed next to an image of a coral, then the sunscreen should be lacking damaging chemicals. Should be…

A couple of years ago, a report about the effects of sunblock use in the oceans was published by the Environmental Contamination Toxicology journal. According to the study, the common sunscreen ingredients octinoxate and oxybenzone are capable of contributing to bleaching in coral reefs.

Since then, Palau, Hawaii and Key West, Florida, have banned consumer use of these sunblock ingredients. Other tropical locations popular with vacationers, like Mexico, advise visitors about the potential of damage.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Out of concern for the reefs, many companies like ThinkSport and All Good Sport offer coral friendly formulas. Other brands, such as Coppertone (for their Water Babies line) and Alba Botanical use minerals as a blocker. Thankfully, these sunscreen alternatives are easy to find.

Everyone should want to keep coral reefs from bleaching because the phenomenon is devastating to ocean health. But before you throw out all your drugstore sunscreen and suntan lotions, something to note: some environmentalists and scientists have come out against the report.

This is because Coral reef damage is caused more by environmental factors, such as climate change and pollution, than beach-goers slathered in sunscreen. Even if octinoxate and oxybenzone were successfully eliminated from the ocean, the damage would continue.

Photo Credit: Flickr

Also, the reef-friendly labeling itself is an issue. As is typical with other kinds of labeling—for example, food sold as all-natural or whole grain—there are no set standards. Consumers may be misled to believe they are using a reef safe sunblock because any manufacturer can make the claim. Consumer Reports also consistently finds mineral based sunscreens as not matching their SPF claims.

But because tropical beaches and diving spots do test for elevated levels of sunscreen, it wouldn’t hurt to use products without octinoxate and oxybenzone. Even if there are larger issues than sunscreen in the decline of the world’s coral reefs, every little stressor adds to the cumulative effect. So using reef-safe sunblock may not solve the issue, but it prevents you from being a direct contributor. Plus, they’re not even that expensive.

From an environmental standpoint, small changes sometimes result in big wins.

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A Fan Who Threw a 96 Mph Fastball in a Speed Challenge Signed with the Oakland A’s

You never know when your moment to be discovered might arrive. And that’s exactly what happened when a fan rose to the occasion at a speed challenge contest at a baseball game.

23-year-old Nathan Patterson went to a Colorado Rockies game on July 15 with his brother Christian to kick back and relax – but fate intervened when Patterson decided to step into the speed pitch challenge at the stadium…and he threw a 96 mph fastball.

Let’s get him signed, indeed.

Two weeks later, Nathan Patterson was signed by the Oakland A’s.

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“How can you not be romantic about baseball” -Billy Beane Words cannot describe this feeling and I cannot thank everyone enough who has been part of this journey so far! My family has given me nothing but constant love and support throughout the last 9 months as I pursue a dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a little kid. It’s been a roller coaster to get here with many challenges and overcoming adversity. I’m grateful for all the trainers, coaches, friends, @rsrbaseball and everyone else who has supported me thus far! And for those who tell you that you can’t achieve your dreams, use that as fuel to work even harder. Because those people are the ones that settle. I’m grateful for the @athletics organization for giving me this opportunity! This story is not over. It is not the beginning. I am writing the next chapters and excited for this journey! Time to focus even more, work even harder, and it all starts with your mindset. Go after your dreams and make them a reality!

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Patterson hadn’t played baseball for a few years and last year he surprised himself by throwing a 96 mph fastball at a pitching booth at a minor-league baseball game in Nashville. After that night, he began training. Patterson experienced a setback when he hurt his non-throwing arm in a car accident and had to wear a cast. But he continued to train in the meantime. Here’s a video from January 2019 when Patterson was still wearing his cast.

Patterson began talking with the Oakland A’s back in February, and he got a call from the organization a few days after his brother’s Twitter videos of him throwing fastballs in Colorado went viral.

Let this be a lesson to all of us: when you are given an opportunity, grab it! It’ll be interesting to see how Nathan Patterson’s story evolves. Let’s hope we see him on the mound in Oakland sooner than later.

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A College Drop-Out Spent 11 Years in Bed Due to Mysterious Illness, Invented a Surgery to Cure Himself

At 21 years of age, Doug Lindsay was forced to drop out of college due to a mysterious condition that doctors were unable to solve for the next 11 years — until he invented his own cure.

Doug spent the years of his illness mostly confined to a hospital bed at home in St. Louis, Missouri. His symptoms included weakness, dizziness, and a racing heartbeat. He couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes at a time.

Doctors were stumped; no treatments seemed to help. The condition was hereditary, however. Doug’s mom suffered from the same thing, as did his aunt.

While at school, Doug had picked up a 2200-page endocrinology textbook, hoping to use it to figure out his mother’s condition. From it, he determined that his illness stemmed from his adrenal glands.

During his many years of bedridden life, he continued to immerse himself in medical research and old medical textbooks. He also consulted with specialists from endocrinology, neurology, internal medicine, and other specialties.

This work eventually led Doug to experiment with a new drug for his condition, which allowed him to be active for short periods of time around the house. In 2006, he came up with a diagnosis: bilateral adrenal medullary hyperplasia. In other words, his adrenal glands were producing too much adrenaline.

This discovery led Doug to invent a surgery to cure the problem, without ever even having obtained a college degree. After finally convincing a surgeon to try his new operation (pioneering a surgery is not at all simple), in 2010 and 2012, he underwent surgeries to remove the medullas from his adrenal glands, curbing his adrenaline production.

Doug still has to take medication for his condition — but he has his life back. He now works as a medical consultant and serves as an inspiration to chronic illness sufferers around the world.

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??… ?

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“I couldn’t be an assistant manager at Trader Joe’s. I don’t have the physical ability for that,” Doug said. “But I can travel and give speeches and go for walks. And I can try to change the world.”

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15 Real Truths About Life with a Cat

Cats are always gonna do their own thing. Love them, hate them…they honestly don’t really give a sh*t.

But if you choose to co-habitate with one (not own one; that’s not a thing), or one chooses to co-habitate with you, then you have to know that these 15 situations are very likely in your future.

Take it or leave it.

Once again, the cat doesn’t really care.

15. Cat body parts have different names than you learned in kindergarten. For example, these are toe beans:

14. Cats are entertainment – just add catnip.

13. If you need to stand, they will sit on you.

12. When a cat decides to hold your hand, you have been blessed.

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#pompompie #paws #exoticshorthair #holdpaw

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11. Even cats need to know they’re beautiful.

10. You might as well have a teenager.

9. Dressing them up is SO. PRECIOUS.

8. The weirdest stuff freaks them out.

7. They strike very silly poses just before wrecking your stuff.

6. They sneeze just like people.

5. Your sink is not just your sink, anymore.

4. Even disdain makes you feel nice, if it comes from a cat.

3. Work is no longer your first priority .

2. If your cat isn’t on your holiday card are you even a cat owner?

1. There is nothing your cat can’t get into. Nothing.

Now, go pet your cat – but only for the allotted amount of time.

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