Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald's

Brian addresses the Twitter controversy over calling his project a podcast and decides to refer to it as an investigative journalism program (IJP). Brian hypothesizes that people are either suppressing their memories of McDonald’s pizza as a coping mechanism or have never lived in a time where the pizza existed. Brian calls AARP, attempting to target an age group who might remember McDonald’s pizz...

Brian uses his investigative expertise to look into Trump’s decision to fire FBI director James Comey. He starts by traveling to Washington D.C. to visit the White House and get a comment from Trump himself. Brian approaches a secret service agent and is told he needs an appointment to enter the White House. Brian learns that Trump is abroad on a diplomatic trip which he calls suspicious given the...

Brian discusses paranormal expert Dr. Hines’ accomplishments before learning about remote viewing and accessing the subconscious mind by creating ideograms. Brian walks around LA to clear his head and asks people on the street what his drawing resembles. Canvassers Tommy and Chris say that they see a drawing of pepperoni pizza and the McDonald’s symbol. Brian puts the Willow investigation on hold...

Brian finds a free training video for remote viewing on YouTube but first researches the dangers of psychic abilities. Brian calls the prayer hotline worrying that psychic powers will put him in spiritual danger. The prayer hotline employee lets Brian know that he is safe from demonic forces.

Brian pauses his pizza investigation to look into the missing copy of Willow. Brian learns about “remote viewing:” a technique used to obtain information from afar using the mind. Brian calls a remote viewing expert for a training session. The employee encourages Brian to sign up for his course but Brian expresses concerns about the cost. Brian advertises the podcast’s new website pizzaatmcds.blog...

Brian went to his library to look up McDonald’s Pizza in the encyclopedia but found no results. Discouraged, he decided to take time for self-care. Brian chose to watch Willow to take his mind off the investigation but ends up with Warriors of Virtue when he cannot find the copy of Willow. Brian follows up with the library to find out if they filed a police report.

A preview of our donors-only Q&A bonus episode.

Brian continues the investigation into Bowe Bergdahl and suggests that he might have to disguise himself and travel to Pakistan to investigate first hand. Brian calls Lucy’s to acquire a disguise costume to look like an Afghan local. Brian worries about cultural appropriation and the employee reassures him that she will find something appropriate but recommends that he comes into the store. Brian...

Brian discusses the pros and cons of being an independent journalist before deciding to call the New York Times to ask for a job. He is directed to the careers website. Brian asks if anyone is currently covering the fast food beat. Brian’s call is transferred multiple times, and he ultimately leaves a message with the editor of the dining section. Brian then calls the dining department of the LA T...

Brian turns to the Internet to verify the information he was given by the McDonald’s customer service representative, when he discovers a KFC (Kabul Fried Chicken) location in Kabul that sells pizza. This leads Brian to doubt McDonald’s claim that pizza was not a feasible menu item for fast food chains. Brian contacts a person who has eaten the pizza at Kabul Fried Chicken. The anonymous woman sug...

Brian searches for McDonald’s locations in Afghanistan, specifically those with pizza, in order to investigate his theory that soldier Bowe Bergdahl abandoned his post in search of McDonald’s pizza. The employee finds locations in Pakistan, none of which appear to serve pizza. Brian asks the employee to pass on his compliments to the management at the Pomeroy location.

Brian announces that he planned to end the podcast after traveling to Pomeroy, Ohio, before receiving a piece of electronic correspondence from a screenwriter. The screenwriter describes the experience of a soldier (Bowe Bergdahl) who was famously captured by the Taliban after leaving his post in Afghanistan. The letter says that Bergdahl had tasted exotic McDonald’s menu items around the world, i...

Brian introduces his producer Agnes at the airport on the way to Ohio and asks the airport McDonald’s if they sell pizza. Brian recaps the history of McDonald’s pizza, the podcast, and Pomeroy, Ohio. Brian and Agnes comment on the state of Pomeroy, Ohio. Brian orders a family sized pepperoni pizza, a personal cheese pizza, and a personal deluxe pizza. Brian describes the pizza as transcendent, but...

Brian calls McDonald’s Canada to ask why they stopped selling pizza and if it would be possible for the menu item to be brought back. Brian gets the corporate phone number to reach an official spokesperson. He calls and is referred to the media hotline where he leaves a message.

Brian thanks listeners and opens fan correspondence. Rachel M. writes about trying pizza at McDonald’s in Orlando as a kid but does not remember the taste because she was upset that the pizza Happy Meal did not come with fries. Sioban D. writes about working at McDonald’s in Canada and describes the taste of McPizza. Twitter users ask what prompted Brian to begin this investigation and what the pr...

Brian calls a Catholic prayer hotline and asks for a clergyperson. The woman tells Brian that he does not have to pray through a priest and that God has no gender. Brian reads a second list of donors during the prayer. Brian asks the hotline employee if she remembers pizza at McDonalds.

Brian announces that he has booked his trip to Pomeroy, Ohio. Brian calls the prayer hotline back to request thank you prayers. The hotline employee is confused by Brian’s request and questions Brian about his relationship with God. Brian prays, gives thanks, and names his donors. Brian asks if Satan is similar to Robocop, loudly eats Ritz crackers, and goes to lay down during the phone call. Bria...

Brian calls the White House Comment Line and is directed to the website by an answering service. Instead, Brian calls Mar-a-Lago, the “Winter White House.” He proceeds to call the restaurant, the Trump Organization, and the Federal Government Information Line. Information specialist Charlotte encourages Brian to reach out to his representatives about the comment line and his joining the White Hous...

Twitter user @wayofthepornstache reaches out to McDonald’s Canada on Twitter asking them to bring pizza back to the menu. The Twitter account directed followers to their FAQ page and replied that the 11 minute preparation time was too long compared to the rest of the menu. McDonald’s Canada let users know that pizza would not be making a comeback anytime soon. Brian concludes that the prep time ar...

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 ow...

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 insta...

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 o...

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 gue...

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...

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...