McDonald's To Look Like Starbucks
05/09/11
AP


McDonald's is taking a cue from Starbucks and upgrading the look and feel of its stores, reports USA Today. The fast food giant has invested over $1 billion in remodeling its 14,000 U.S. franchises and hopes to have most of the facelifts complete by 2015.




Jim Carras, senior vice president of domestic restaurant development for McDonald's explains that it is important to change with the times and to do faster than ever.

Not only is the chain hoping to edge out rivals like Burger King and Wendy's but McDonald's also hopes to give Panera and Chipotle a run for their money as well.





Simply put, "nicer-looking stores attract more business," as is proven by McDonald's newly redesigned Tampa branch, which has seen a double-digit sales boost in the past year.

McDonald's sought inspiration from its outposts in France and Australia, which already have a sleeker, more modern feel. Additional inspiration has also come from the uber-sleek Apple stores.






The "McRemodel" laundry list of changes includes:

• nixing the red roofs

• a focus on earth tones rather than red and yellow

• no more fiberglass, no more steel chairs

• more drive-through windows

• getting rid of fluorescent lights

• adding flat-screen TVs

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/09/mcdonalds-look-like-starbucks_n_859342.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%7C61723

OK, McDonald's, and the point is...?

Here's an idea. How about better food? Now that's a change they SHOULD be making!!!!

Somebody needs to tell McDonalds "If it aint broke, dont fix it" They are already making millions and will continue to do so.

Get rid of the poisonous trans fat, for one. KFC did so, and while no one will ever mistake their food for health food, at least it's acknowledging how truly awful that stuff is. And it still tastes good!

As far as the other stuff, sounds to me like they're going to try to remove most of their visual and architectural touchstones, which to me is a real pity. Seeing those golden arches meant something, just like the traditional caricature of Colonel Sanders meant something. They harkened back to the good times of our past, and it's usually a mistake to mess with those memories.

Anybody remember "New Coke"? :rolleyes:

Get rid of the poisonous trans fat, for one. KFC did so, and while no one will ever mistake their food for health food, at least it's acknowledging how truly awful that stuff is. And it still tastes good!

As far as the other stuff, sounds to me like they're going to try to remove most of their visual and architectural touchstones, which to me is a real pity. Seeing those golden arches meant something, just like the traditional caricature of Colonel Sanders meant something. They harkened back to the good times of our past, and it's usually a mistake to mess with those memories.

Anybody remember "New Coke"? :rolleyes:
You are right about removing the visual and architectural touchstones. Most of the changes mentioned have already taken place to the McDonalds restaurants where I live. Now when you walk in it's not instantly recognizable as McDonalds it's just a generic fast food restaurant.

The "McRemodel" laundry list of changes includes:

• nixing the red roofs

• a focus on earth tones rather than red and yellow

• no more fiberglass, no more steel chairs

• more drive-through windows

• getting rid of fluorescent lights

• adding flat-screen TVs



Most of these so called improvements have already taken place at some locations.

Most of these so called improvements have already taken place at some locations.

I guess it depends on where you are.

Many of the McDonald's near me haven't updated to this yet.

I guess it depends on where you are.

Many of the McDonald's near me haven't updated to this yet.

Ditto Northeast Ohio.

^ Northern Illinois's still retro, too. ;)

Get rid of the poisonous trans fat, for one. KFC did so, and while no one will ever mistake their food for health food, at least it's acknowledging how truly awful that stuff is. And it still tastes good!

As far as the other stuff, sounds to me like they're going to try to remove most of their visual and architectural touchstones, which to me is a real pity. Seeing those golden arches meant something, just like the traditional caricature of Colonel Sanders meant something. They harkened back to the good times of our past, and it's usually a mistake to mess with those memories.

Anybody remember "New Coke"? :rolleyes:

You make some good points. Yes totally get rid of the trans fat - probably won't be missed taste wise. Yes their orig. architectural touchstones are great - why they want to monkey with it is beyond me. True, no one will ever (in their right mind anyways) mistake McD's for healthy food - I am glad they post nutritional info so you can at least make informed choices - I almost never set foot into a McD's - all the food is really bad for me as I'm pre-diabetic.

Why would a iconic restaurant chain with it's legendary golden arches and own sense of feel copy a...coffee chain?

And if they make over their prices like Starbucks, they will lose mucho business because McD's and Starbucks the way I see it, are two different types of crowd demographic.

Whatever happened to the time when businesses sought their own distinctive style to separate them from everyone else...?

Rich and Chris, you both make excellent points!

I know this is an older thread, but the McDonald's changes finally made its way to around me.

A McDonald's near me completed its remodeling a few months ago and got rid of the "classic" look for a more "sleek" look.




Before:

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/7ecbc7af-0f3a-4a0a-b1b2-eac6ce1dd863_zpsqkjszvit.png




After:

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/5868fc32-896d-4bf0-8df8-833b1f4bda95_zpstkewvib8.jpg

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/3fe380ad-675c-48e2-bbce-673c53fa40b3_zpsogi4yx9l.jpg




Has anyone else noticed the McDonald's changes since I made this thread 6 years ago?

I know this is an older thread, but the McDonald's changes finally made its way to around me.

A McDonald's near me completed its remodeling a few months ago and got rid of the "classic" look for a more "sleek" look.




Before:

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/7ecbc7af-0f3a-4a0a-b1b2-eac6ce1dd863_zpsqkjszvit.png







After:

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/5868fc32-896d-4bf0-8df8-833b1f4bda95_zpstkewvib8.jpg

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w594/JamesGrec3/3fe380ad-675c-48e2-bbce-673c53fa40b3_zpsogi4yx9l.jpg




Has anyone else noticed the McDonald's changes since I made this thread 6 years ago?


Yes! Almost all of them near me are the new updated look! I don't care, but I think the older brighter more traditional yellow arch look would appeal to children more! It's kind of sad really that even Mc Donalds has to be trendy! :( :rolleyes:

Our McD's around here haven't updated

I wish that McDonald's and other fast food joints would have a liquor license!

I know McDonald's does have the appeal for children...but to get to the adults, why not have a mini-bar? They do sell beer in some European McDonald's!

I've noticed this change at some of the McDonald's in my area and a few years ago one of the McDonald's restaurants in my area had a whole expensive remodeling job done to it and when it reopened it was all over the news and it features a newly expanded children's play area and flatscreen TV's and a sitting area where you can read the newspapers and drink coffee. But the McDonald's that I usually go to still is traditional and the only thing that it has is a paint job because it's now grey painted and it used to be red and yellow and white but there is no sign of remodeling anytime soon. I think why McDonald's is doing this is to get more customers into their restaurants to turn into more than a place to eat but a place to sit and talk with friends while enjoying their meal and watching their shows or sports on the TV's. Also not only McDonald's is doing this but other fast food restaurants like Burger King Jack In The Box and Taco Bell have done the same thing. But I think this change will be the start of a whole new improvement for McDonald's and will be great
Bestie

I think they had to do this with Charles Edward Fromage potentially putting them to shame.

This has been the annoying trend for the past several years. Every restaurant or fast food is trying to be so uptown trendy by looking and feeling like an upscale coffee bar. How tres Beatnik.

McDonald's should upgrade its nutrition and NOT its attempts at faux fashion.

McDonald's should upgrade its nutrition

McDonalds is going to start using "fresh" beef NEXT YEAR. Till then, good luck....:)

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-03-30/mcdonald-s-plans-to-use-fresh-beef-nationwide-in-strategic-shift

McDonalds is going to start using "fresh" beef NEXT YEAR. Till then, good luck....:)

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-03-30/mcdonald-s-plans-to-use-fresh-beef-nationwide-in-strategic-shift

That's the whole thing about McDonald's, why I never buy their burgers anymore: They DON'T taste fresh. All pre-packaged and processed. Like it's not really beef. It could be that mystery kangaroo meat we've been hearing about, for all we know. puke:

I like making homemade burgers. :eat:

That's the whole thing about McDonald's, why I never buy their burgers anymore: They DON'T taste fresh. All pre-packaged and processed. Like it's not really beef. It could be that mystery kangaroo meat we've been hearing about, for all we know. puke:

I like making homemade burgers. :eat:


Here are a few tricks I've learned on how to get better tasting burgers from McDonald's.

- Ask for a customized burger, just request "no pickles" or "no ketchup". This means that the employees have to put your burger together themselves and it's not from the mass assembly line.

- Ask to have your burger on a Filet-o-Fish bun since those buns are steamed and taste much better.

Here are a few tricks I've learned on how to get better tasting burgers from McDonald's.

- Ask for a customized burger, just request "no pickles" or "no ketchup". This means that the employees have to put your burger together themselves and it's not from the mass assembly line.

- Ask to have your burger on a Filet-o-Fish bun since those buns are steamed and taste much better.
I like that idea about the Filet-O-Fish bun!!! Those ARE different!!


Maybe Starbuck's would improve its business by adopting the classic retro McDonald's motif...

cool