No giant yellow arches here, just a modest sign in some nice landscaping to let you know you’ve arrived. There is even a drive-thru in this transformed Victorian-era home.
Yes, there is a McDonald’s inside this 1850-built home of a well-to-do merchant named William Gore in Freeport, Maine. Freeport labors to preserve the timeless look of the town via strict zoning laws, dutifully enforced by the Freeport Zoning Board of Appeals. The town turned down the idea of golden arches in their community and McDonald’s showed their willingness to find a reasonable solution.
We are willing to spend the money to make it compatible with the area, the history, the community and the people who live there.
Stephen Leroy – McDonald’s
In 1984, McDonald’s bought a home in a residential area described as “a mix of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture” and stripped away most of the inelegant branding. The house is undeniably beautiful, featuring classic wooden shutters and a front stoop. Once inside, though nicer than most, it is still McDonald’s.
There is seating in different rooms, Furnishings include carved wooden chairs and mahogany booths. The restaurant also features fireplaces and decorations around the holidays. You can even sit outside in the lush garden.
The fare is the McDonald’s you know but at certain times of the year, they will serve a special Lobster Roll. This location is only a few blocks from L.L. Bean’s headquarters, an outlet mall, and luxury stores like Polo Ralph Lauren and Burberry.
The lobster roll was very good, better than some we have had on our trip that were twice as expensive
User Jim S writing on Tripadvisor
OK, I said weird. How about a McDonald’s with a decommissioned DC-3 plane as part of the store? Welcome to Taupo, New Zealand where there are seats inside the plane for your dining enjoyment, and you can even view the cockpit as well!
The Cambridgeshire, UK McDonald’s is no longer there but I had to mention it. The building was constructed in 1990, it was a spaceship-themed Megatron, planned to be one of many. After that failed, in 1993 McDonald’s moved in. They had pulsating lights and robot rides but eventually, McDonald’s moved out.
The Biltmore McDonald’s, in Asheville, NC, octagonal dining room features tables of red oak, wrought iron railings, and luminous chandeliers under a sweeping pressed-tin ceiling, with every wood feature boasting a handsome finish.
A baby grand player piano sits in the corner, churning out disembodied tunes you might hear at a fanciful gala, while a gold-leaf mantled fireplace forms the base of a giant stone chimney. And while the food is sourced and prepared as it would be at any McDonald’s, the staff who makes it maintain a strict dress code of slacks and a bow tie. It’s fast-food meets forced-fanciful.
They have made the old Bray Town Hall, Bray Ireland, a very nice McDonald’s. It has been described as a “pastoral location”. The hall, built in the Tudor Revival style at the top of Bray’s Main St, was built in the 19th century from local red brick. McDonald’s has been there since 1997.
Lavish, Posh, Deluxe, is a grand way to describe the Rock and Roll McDonald’s in Chicago, a two-story burger palace that offers the restaurant’s standard fare plus so much more, in a setting much swankier than the typical orange and yellow plastic… everything.
They opened in 1983 and have plasma screen TVs, leather chairs, a high-end cafe that serves gelato, pricey Italian lighting, an upstairs museum showcasing every decade of the restaurant, and two outdoor green roofs to enjoy your Big Mac or biscotti on.
The museum contains vintage uniforms, pop culture items popular in each decade, and of course photos of McDonald’s past. The Rock and Roll part was heavy on the Beatles and Elvis is there no more. The whole building has been demolished with promises of a rebuild.
Sources
Food & Wine
Business Insider
Irish Examiner
Cambridgeshire Live
