McDonald's Fries Deal Spawning Scandalous 'Potato Parties'

Of course if you make a menu item dirt cheap, somebody is going to go and order a ton, just because they can. People hoping for a few minutes of viral Internet fame have ordered (and consumed) the entire Taco Bell menu, a burger with 1,000 slices of cheese, and another burger with 1,050 rashes of bacon.

So what did McDonald's expect to happen when they decided to sell all french fry sizes for ¥150 in Japan? At $1.88 each, an order of large fries is as much as a small order, prompting some kids to go out and buy a ton of fries for a "potato party," Kotaku says.

One group ordered 23 orders of fries, posted the photo on Twitter, and received a ton of flak from online commenters. Not only was this seen as wasteful ("In Japan, you are expected to clean your plate. Not doing so is seen as wasteful. And being wasteful in Japan is a sign of bad manners," Kotaku writes), but an alleged employee notes that other customers were complaining.

Another potato party ordered 60 orders of french fries, which took about three hours to consume. An alleged employee tweeted, "Plus, during our restaurant's busiest period, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there was no prior notice about such a large order [from you], and this impacted what food and what tables we could offer to other customers." Also, 60 orders of fries is roughly one crate of frozen fries, the employee said. If you've ever seen how McDonald's makes their fries, it's just a bit nerve-racking to think of all the salt these kids are eating.