Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald's

Brian plays a clip from a McDonald’s podcast about the return of Szechuan Sauce to McDonald’s as a result of the show Rick and Morty. Brian considers the podcast offensive and calls corporate to investigate undercover.

Brian shares correspondence from a financial institution in Abu Dhabi seeking to invest in the IJP. Brian seeks a business loan of $100 billion in order to purchase McDonald’s and bring pizza back to the menu.

Brian launches the Pizza at McDonald’s Network, with Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s being the network’s flagship show. Brian plays the first episode of Intriguing Conversations. Brian tells listeners that he records all of his phone calls. The first episode is a phone call between Brian and the secret service, reporting a man who said “it would be funny if Donald Trump died.”

Brian shares audio recordings from listener Blair Hodges who interviewed a friend, Lizbeth F., about her experience with McDonald’s pizza. Lizbeth remembers the experience being intertwined with her sister’s birth, but calls the pizza “junky.” Brian searches Facebook comments and finds multiple similar accounts. Brian suggests that these negative opinions cannot be trusted due to the fragility of...

Brian investigates YouTuber FaZe Kay who has discovered a secret menu at a McDonald’s in Hollywood. Brian considers that the video might be staged, given the suspicious conversation between Kay and his UberEats driver. He loses all confidence after seeing the pizza, which does not look anything like the pizza from Pomeroy. Brian calls the McDonald’s location, asks if the secret menu contains pizza...

Brian shares his vision for Willow 2 and asks that listeners with any connections in the film industry reach out. The movie premise includes the main characters’ use of time travel to visit McDonald’s in 1991, when the chain still served pizza nationwide. Dar and Willow decide to stay in Los Angeles and work at McDonald’s for the employee discount.

Brian returns to his investigation of Willow. Brian reads correspondence from director Ron Howard and asks if he would like to collaborate on Willow 2. Brian calls Lucasfilm and is told that his email is a scam. Brian then calls Ron Howard’s production company and is told he cannot have a meeting. Brian concludes that he has been scammed yet again by Monroe Boswell.

Brian reflects on his spiritual journey and educates listeners on the true meaning of Christmas. Brian wraps up the episode with a parody of “Little Drummer Boy,” with the lyrics “McDonald’s Pizza is Gone.”

Brian emails Squarespace, asking them for help creating a website in exchange for his past pro bono advertisements. Brian calls LegalZoom for advice on his relationship with Squarespace after a week without response to his request. When the employee shares LegalZoom rates with Brian, he asks if he can exchange pro bono ads for a subscription. Brian continues to call companies that he has done adve...

Brian reflects on conversations with listeners about the largest McDonald’s in Orlando, Florida, which has both a pasta bar and pizza. Brian previously ignored the pizza, as it is not made using the original recipe, but has reconsidered now that Pomeroy has removed pizza from the menu. Brian calls Orlando to ask about the recipe and warn them about pressure from McDonald’s corporate.

Brian files a FOIA request for information about the discontinuation of the McDonald’s Pizza Program. The FBI discloses that they do not have files on this subject. Brian wonders if the FBI is hiding information or failed to investigate altogether. Brian calls into Mike Rivero’s radio show What Really Happened, and is told the FBI is untrustworthy. Rivero brings up supply chain issues and suggests...

Brian recaps the triumphs and frustrations associated with running his IJP, the primary frustration being the lack of education about McDonald’s Pizza. This prompts Brian to contact a marionette theater with the goal of creating and staging an educational puppet show. The employee encourages Brian to send an email with his questions.

Brian reports that he is now cancer free, as he records from his hospital room. Brian considers how previously classified documents about JFK’s assassination might relate to his investigation. Brian contacts the office of his Representative Adam Schiff to request a meeting with Trump. Brian calls the White House to ask if Trump plans to release any classified information relating to the McDonald’s...

Brian expresses his desire to speak to Greg Mills. Twitter user Parker Bent tweets at Brian, saying that his alias put the IJP at risk. As Brian is reconsidering what he said while in character, he hears an advertisement for Diesel Driving Academy and decides to call them. Brian asks if driving a truck through a drive thru is possible, and the instructor is not sure. Brian calls the Pomeroy locati...

Brian shares audio recordings from fans who visited the Pomeroy McDonald’s during its final days selling pizza. Brian uses the alias, Larry Truck, to call McDonald’s corporate and ask why Pomeroy was forced to stop selling pizza. He calls Pomeroy owner Greg Mills for more answers and is told to call back on Monday.

Brian announces that all McDonald’s locations must stop serving pizza, including the Pomeroy store. Brian discusses his Lymphoma and various illnesses, resulting in a hiatus from the IJP, which he suspects might have something to do with his investigation. Brian discusses a “testy” call with the Pomeroy location asking why McDonald’s is requiring them to stop selling pizza and wonders if he is res...

Brian describes a listener who sent photographic evidence of what he believes to be cornmeal on the Pomeroy crust. Brian calls the Pomeroy location under an alias to inquire. The employee says that the dusting on the crust is parmesan and is not the same as the original recipe.

Brian continues discussing his personalized healing program with his angel guide. Brian expresses that people he encounters in his investigation are getting in his way. The angel guide suggests that Brian might be holding onto frustration due to being abandoned by his birth parents. She goes on to describe the various practices and activities that Brian will experience throughout his retreat. Afte...

Brian is contacted by an angel guide and discusses his IJP. Brian tells the practitioner that he is in a relationship with his work before delving into his childhood, beliefs, living habits, and goals for the retreat.

Brian seeks to go on a spiritual retreat in order to combat stress from his IJP. The employee suggests that Brian spend time talking one-on-one with an angel guide so that the program can create an experience tailored to his needs.

Brian considers that the Pomeroy pizza might be part of a series of deceptive acts due to its crusts’ lack of cornmeal. Brian calls various cornmeal suppliers to inquire if they sold cornmeal to McDonald’s when the franchise sold pizza.

Brian suggests that McDonald’s might not be wholly responsible for the removal of pizza from the menu. Brian considers the possibility that McDonald’s has nothing to benefit from ceasing to serve pizza and investigates a possible third party actor.

Pomeroy, Ohio and saw a sign on the door asking that customers refrain from taking photos or videos out of respect for the employees. The sign was not there during Brian’s visit, and Josh worries that the McDonald’s corporation is looking at the location more closely after Brian’s trip. Next, Brian plays a voicemail from Allen who apologizes for bullying customers who ordered pizza as a high schoo...

Brian announces a live call-in episode for listeners to share their experiences with McDonald’s pizza. Brian also says listeners can call (323) 319-JERK if they are unavailable to call in live. Brian also announces that the IJP has moved to a new hosting service: Spreaker.

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