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McDonald's: Soon-to-Be Chi-Chi Destination

Burger joint goes yuppie with 'linger zones'

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted May 19, 2010 1:49 PM CDT

(Newser) – You know those giant golden arches thrust into the sky on a pole in front of your local McDonald's? Kiss 'em goodbye. They're just one of the casualties of an upcoming total redesign of the McDonald's franchise, Salon reports. Gone, too, will be the red, double-sloped roofs, and the cafeteria-like interior. In their place will be brick or stone exteriors, and interiors full of “linger zones” featuring armchairs, TVs, WiFi, and more.

The goal is to reinvent McDonald's until it looks like a “fast casual” joint—think Five Guys or Chipotle. The design also promises to be customizable for different locales. The idea is to counteract some of the anti-McDonald's backlash—and get around building codes in high-class neighborhoods. “You're never going to convince people that McDonald's isn't a mass restaurant,” says one food consultant, but you can "create a warmer feeling." BusinessWeek has pictures of the new look here.

A sign outside a McDonald's advertises Cappuccino, Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, in Chicago.
A sign outside a McDonald's advertises Cappuccino, Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, in Chicago.   (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
tbooker
Sep 2, 2010 11:30 AM CDT
Until they improve the food and lower the prices for a lousy burger I don't care what the buildings look like. Next time you eat at one take a second to really think about the taste of that stuff. Pencil thin meat covered with a pound of junk to create a taste you can't identify. It's just mush in your mouth.....Don't expect things to change though because they are too established into our way of life.
cyclops007
May 20, 2010 4:19 PM CDT
How about not selling Burgers...It will cetainly make the news...
SC23
May 19, 2010 6:34 PM CDT
The cleanup and repair bill will put them out of business after a week of all the rugrats going nuts on the place.

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