What on earth happened to McDonalds?

[PrincessShmoo]

Our local McDonalds ( 2 of them)has done the design change. I'm not really a fan of it. It looks sooooo industrial and makes the dining room look like a prison. They still have the self serve drink station, though. And no kiosks, with people behind the counter.

We recently traveled across the US and Canada and did stop at a few McDonalds on the trip. They all had someone behind the counter and people bringing food trays out in a timely manner. The biggest take away I got from those were the people working there were MUCH more smiley and helpful than they have been in the past.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I like ordering through the app or kiosk, it’s more efficient for me. But I think they’re really pushing the app because there are so many deals in there.

I agree the inside of the remodeled stores feel like you’re in a hospital (that seems like the general trend if you look at recently refurbished Disney hotels), but one positive change—I noticed at least one of my local McDonalds now brings your your food to your table when it’s ready (they give numbers like at Panera).

 

[Colleen27]

The locations around me that still have dine-in have retained their drink machines. The "updated" decor has been happening for a long time - at least a decade around me - along with the elimination of play places and a shift toward trying to compete, IMO, with Starbucks and the like as a "third place" for adults. More outlets and charging ports, free wi-fi, etc. The one closest to me took out the play place 8 or so years ago and replaced it with a fireplace and more comfortable seating, and senior bingo and book groups replaced kids' parties as their slow-time gatherings.

But the rest, I totally agree. Corporate must have mandated the number of curbside/delivery spots because we don't even have delivery services in my area but both local McDs have Doordash-designated spots and have dedicated most of their parking to various specialty uses. Just remember, those signs do not have the force of law; the worst they can do if you park in one to go in and eat is ask you to move. I don't mind the kiosk ordering but our locations have stopped leaving the drink cups out by the ordering kiosk so now you have to wait for your food to arrive and remind the person who brought it out that you had a drink, wait for them to bring you a cup from in back by the drive-thru window, then fill it yourself while your food gets cold. And all the deals are in the app now, so if you don't have it, you're seriously overpaying.

The change that bothers me most, though, is that the McDs we used to go to the most often has not reopened indoor dining and as far as I know does not plan to do so any time in the near future. The additional cost of staffing the dining room exceeds the additional profit dine-in generates, so unless corporate steps in and demands franchise owners reopen dine-in at some point, I think that's just gone.

 

[Colleen27]

What else is that space on your phone gonna do? I get so much free or discounted food just from using the apps. Easy peasy to use.

I run out because I use my phone heavily as a camera and haven't yet upgraded to a subscription cloud storage plan. I hate that every brand wants me to choose between overpaying or installing branded apps. I tolerate Joanns, Michaels, and Subway because those are places I stop regularly, but I really don't have room to install an app for every single store and restaurant I patronize and I despise having to go into each one to stop it from sending endless push notifications and/or draining my battery by running in the background.

 

[Mysterian]

Sheesh folks, I have plenty of room on my phone. I don't need to have an app to do every single thing that I do in my life, that is all. Especially I don't want to need to have an app to buy 2 McDonalds breakfast sandwiches every 8 months or so.

Not all of us live with our phones permanently fused to our hands.

There's way you can fuse your phone to your hand. There's an app that can walk you through it.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

It has never once occurred to me to have any kind of opinion on fast food decor, as long as the place is clean.

 

[mamamary]

I’m hardly ever at my McDonalds but over the weekend I was stopped by it at a red light. Ours still had the play area. I could see the big slide.

 

[nancipants]

People annoyed with apps should watch the "Phones" episode of Bluey.

 

[bcwife76]

While all the McDonalds here (I'm in Canada on the west coast) seem to have been renovated they all still have serve yourself drink machines and while they do have the order kiosks, they all still have the ability to order at the counter if you would like as well.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I hate the app, too; but then I hate to pay more if I could get it for less with the app. I don't like having to remember logins for everythng and McDs forces you to connect to their wi-fi, even to pick up a mobile order. It's inconvenient. I miss the days where you cold just order, just like I miss the days you could turn on the TV with one remote and watch stuff without logging in. I guess I'm old!

That's weird. I don't have to connect to the McD's Wi-fi to pick up a mobile order.

 

[AustinTink]

I had my birthday party at McDonald’s when I was in 2nd grade. I thought I was Queen of the World that day. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to have one there these days.

I went inside a McDonald’s on a California road trip this summer. First time inside one in a few years. It was soulless and prison-like as the OP described. We had to ask the worker doing the to go orders to push the button to unlock the bathroom door. That was a new one.

The Mickey D’s around here seem a bit nicer with playscapes and bathrooms that don’t need to be unlocked like a gas station.

 

[sam_gordon]

We had to ask the worker doing the to go orders to push the button to unlock the bathroom door.

I wonder if that was more the area you were in vs McD's. I've never seen that at ANY fast food/restaurant. The closest I can think of is getting a key to the bathroom at some gas stations (not as many as it used to be).

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

The McDonalds by my house got rid of their playplace years before Covid happened, not a lot of places still have playplaces in my area. McDonalds prices have gone up consistently these last few years but you can still get some really good deals on their app which I love and you honestly do save some money if you go and take advantage of the deals. I believe McDonalds changed their look because all of the other fast food places have also remodeled to look more modern, I personally loved the old McDonalds look and thought it was fun.. same with Taco Bell but now it's all modernized.

 

[nile455]

Interesting, check out this video that was just created a couple weeks ago. He states exactly what I was trying to express with the decor and how they stripped all the happiness away from the restaurants.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I believe McDonalds changed their look because all of the other fast food places have also remodeled to look more modern,

Huh, I don't think it's "modern" at all. It looks like they're trying for the industrial "loft" look. All steel grey and black. Hard, uncomfortable seats, often with no backs.

 

[tvguy]

I wonder if that was more the area you were in vs McD's. I've never seen that at ANY fast food/restaurant. The closest I can think of is getting a key to the bathroom at some gas stations (not as many as it used to be).

Well, I guess area could be an issue, in part. I don't frequent Starbucks but met a friend at one in a "good" neighborhood way back in 2018 and they had coded bathroom doors. I stopped at a McDonalds last month in Palm Springs and the bathroom door code is printed on your receipt. And Saturday I went to IHOP for the first time since the pandemic, and their bathrooms have code locks.
I guess our areas are just ahead of yours.
Now, most grocery stores, department stores and Walmart here do not have coded bathroom doors. Trust me, since I went on blood pressure medicine, I visit the bathroom more often than I did when I was younger.

 

[Moliphino]

That's weird. I don't have to connect to the McD's Wi-fi to pick up a mobile order.

I don't think I do, either, unless I did it once ages ago and saved it. You do need to be close enough for it to register that you're there. I only go a few times a year, but the app is totally worth it.

 

[MillauFr]

Most of McDonalds in Seattle closed due to the owners being able to sell the property for tens of millions per acre. They were worth far more as apartments than a standalone restaurant. The developers don't want to allow McDonalds back into their complexes due to them attracting the wrong element. They were basically homeless day shelters.

 

[PAsFab5]

My nephew has food allergies and if we are out and about with him the only fast food he can have is McDonald’s chicken nuggets and apple slices. That’s the only time we go.

I use the app, as others suggested and get really good deals. Otherwise it is terrible expensive.

My daughter works for chick fil a and their focus on food quality, freshness and customer service is absolutely amazing. Lots of healthy options too. It’s just my general go to for fast food.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

We still have the pound saver menu - simple things, like a cheeseburger, small fries, small drink and so on. No free refills sadly, never have been. We still have counter service, but they mostly rely on touch screen systems. No more play pens. Interesting enough, you can now reserve a table at the time of ordering, or reserve an order via phone or an app in order to breeze through a drive-thru. Next on, healthy options. They've jut introduced alternatives to fries such as apple wedges or carrot sticks. Grilled chicken wraps. Toys in Happy Meals are now made of softer kinder materials to save the planet. They've even introduced a vegan burger, the McPlant. Finally, points. The more you spend, the more points you get, which you can cash in on a chicken mayo sandwich for example, whatever you really want Food still tastes the same. I'd rate it as a same ol', same ol', better in some ways, worse in others.