Referencing real world brands in fiction (such as McDonald's)

I was surprised the Big Bang used the CheeseCake Factory, instead of inventing a fake restaurant.

I don't see why you shouldn't use real brands.

https://youtu.be/tPgRnFg8ZTU?si=oWOvdul5nF94dD0D

I Googled--using brand names in fiction---and got lots of hits. Interesting.

Using real brand names like McDonalds lends to realism. Parody names would be used for satire.

It depends. If writing is just a hobby, no big deal, but if you want to get it published, there could be some legal entanglements involved. Either way, never stop writing!

Just make shit up, ‘Super Slurps’ or
‘Big Patties’ for instance.

If your book doesn’t sell start a fast food joint.

You’ll make money either way👍

Seinfeld often used real brands because they thought showing fake brands made the scenes more awkward.

There is actually a movie from the 90s with Paul Reiser and Amy Brenneman that takes place largely at a McDonalds.