BUSINESS

The Company That Makes Those Always-Broken McFlurry Machines Just Got Smacked With a Restraining Order

A legal battle is currently raging over who gets to fix the perpetually broken McFlurry machines at McDonald's.

Viral 'Appuchino' drinks are a hit for Starbucks.

How Those Super-Complicated Viral Starbucks Drinks Are Boosting the Company's Bottom Line

Your 32-modification 'Appuchino' may drive some baristas crazy, but it's also helping Starbucks keep coffee prices reasonable for everyone.

Lots of restaurants are closed on Mondays, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The Reason So Many Restaurants Are Closed on Mondays

Your favorite dining establishment may lock its doors at the beginning of the week. Here's why that's not such a bad thing.

'Shrinkflation' Is Taking a Big Bite Out of Cereal Boxes

Cereal and ice cream manufacturers are shrinking the quantity of consumer goods while maintaining the same price.

Ecuador's Angie Paola Palacios Dajomes during a weightlifting competition on July 27.

Why Are the 2021 Olympics Still Being Called 'Tokyo 2020?'

“Tokyo 2020” is all over the 2021 Olympics coverage—athlete gear, advertisements, etc. Why didn’t anyone change it?

20 Epic Fails From the History of Pop Culture

From Hitler sitcoms to digital fur technology, here are 20 pop culture projects that didn’t work out so well.

A Sealed Copy of Super Mario 64 Sold for a Record $1.56 Million

An unopened copy of the 1996 Nintendo game 'Super Mario 64' was sold for $1.56 million, setting a new record for most expensive video game ever sold—just two days after a sealed copy of 'The Legend of Zelda' was auctioned off.

7-Eleven has sometimes had to deal with more than just brain freeze.

11 7-Eleven Controversies

The popular convenience store chain has endured everything from a 3-D glasses fiasco to being accused of peddling pornography.

Icelanders Report Better Work-Life Balance and Steady Productivity After Trying Out a Shorter Work Week

Improving work-life balance implies a drop-off in what you can accomplish at work—but Iceland’s experiments suggest this isn’t so.

Frederick James Havell's painting, "The Double Lock and East Entrance to the Islington Tunnel, Regent's Canal" (1827), shows two horse-drawn canal boats passing through the lock, approaching the tunnel. Construction of the Regent's Canal began in 1812.

Blasts on the Barges: The Dangerous Lives of England’s Early Canal Workers

England's canal system powered the Industrial Revolution and Victorian prosperity—but it had a dangerous side.

America’s 25 Biggest Restaurant Chains

According to sales numbers from 2020, these 25 chain restaurants dominated the market in what was a tough year for eateries worldwide.

Why Did So Many Movie Theaters Have Funky Carpets in the 1990s?

If you frequented movie theaters in the 1990s, you may remember the funky, galactic carpets that were once ubiquitous. It turns out their design served a practical (and disgusting) purpose.

Mario RM, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

11 Over-the-Top Theme Restaurants

From Mars 2112 to Planet Hollywood, here are 11 novelty restaurants that really committed to their themes.

The Most Distinctive Business Jargon Used in Each State

From ‘make hay’ to ‘peel the onion,’ here are the phrases each state’s corporate community just can’t quit.

The balcony is an iconic part of Popeyes’s architecture.

The Reason Popeyes Restaurants Have a Balcony Over the Drive-Thru

The balconies over Popeyes drive-thrus aren't functional, but they do pay homage to the fast food restaurant's Louisiana roots.

Grocery stores don't like to let in natural light.

The Reason You Rarely See Windows in Grocery Stores

Supermarkets don't let in much—if any—natural light. It's another example of how retailers mess with your mind.

Snacks like popcorn, not hit movies, are really what keep theaters in business.

Let's All Go to the Lobby: 8 Facts About Movie Theater Snacks

When movie theaters are open for business, snacks make up nearly half of their profits. But when movie houses first cropped up, managers banned food outright.

Retail stores want to give you plenty of overhead space. There's a scientific reason why.

The Reason Retail Stores Have Such High Ceilings

There's a surprising reason stores like consumers to have plenty of space above their heads. According to science, it's giving them room to think.

Being called a 'guest' of a retail business is not really grammatically correct.

The Reason Some Businesses Refer to Customers as Guests

Step into a Target or Walgreens and you might be labeled a 'guest.' The practice probably started for a very Goofy reason.

Condiment Crisis: A Ketchup Packet Shortage Is Squeezing America

The single-serve ketchup packets that had been dumped into takeout bags with abandon are now fetching premium prices on eBay.

Apple once tried to take a bite out of the video gaming market.

8 Brands That Went Off-Brand

Plenty of consumer brands have abandoned their core market to try something new. Sometimes it works, and sometimes you wind up with Bic pantyhose.

The entrance to a Sheetz convenience store in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

11 Made to Order Facts About Sheetz

For people in a swath of the country, Sheetz is an unwritten item on the itinerary of any journey of more than 40 miles.

7 Totally Radical 1980s Mall Events

In the 1980s, shopping malls across America hosted everything from video game demonstrations to fans screaming for Patrick Duffy.

What's the Difference Between Men's and Women's Razors?

Men's razors aren't necessarily better than women's razors, but they are different (and not just because they aren't pink).

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