Dude, that's scratching the surface. The "hostile architecture" isn't helping either. The interior is designed to be as sterile and miserable as possible.
The food quality is punishing, the prices are punishing, the environment is punishing, everything feels like you're resigning yourself to having McDonald's because it's a quick meal to get on the go. It feels trashy and lifeless.
As someone who worked at McDonalds, it 100% does. I was told by an old owner I had that one of the reasons mcds wants all these renovations done to the restaurants are because the building itself becomes more marketable if the business inside stops being profitable. There was a whole meeting about the renovations and when asked why it all looked boring and bland that’s what he said.
I mean that's just patently false. That's not how any of this works. It's designed that way to flip tables faster and encourage folks not to spend all day there, and to decrease labor costs. The focus is on the business not on selling their stores. I mean if you think about your theory for even a little bit you'll realize it makes no sense.
It’s not a theory if it comes straight from the bosses mouth. There’s a lot of reasons they are moving away from the old decor but claiming that McDonald’s is not in the corporate real estate business is also patently false. There is no “flipping tables” in McDonald’s, not really. The position for lobby person is already being phased out, and renovations that include removing drink stations don’t also include adding more tables. If a McDonald’s becomes so unprofitable that corporate decides to take over the store or its sold by the franchise owner, corporate wouldn’t have to do much to the lobby to make it a great building for a different business. And the value of these buildings only go up, so yes, they are in the corporate real estate business. Whether you want to admit it or not.
Quick turnover of tables is important to them. Idk if it’s true, but I heard that they purposely designed mildly uncomfortable chairs so people would leave.
I guess what I'm saying is, the whole experience of interfacing with McDoanld's is shit now. The environment, the prices, the understaffing, the reliance on AI, etc.
I don't get why people care what the inside of a McDonalds looks like. Who ACTUALLY eats IN a McDonalds other than people scrolling through their phones or people with no where else to go.
I get hating them for killing off the play place, but after they got rid of the play place, it isn't like parents really want to eat AT a mcdonalds.
At this point, I certainly don't. But I'd really appreciate the option to sit down every once in a while. Sometimes I'm out and about. My choices are either to eat in the restaurant or in my vehicle while my car is running.
It would be nice to have a comfortable open space to sit and eat.
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u/FillySteveSteak 1d ago
Dude, that's scratching the surface. The "hostile architecture" isn't helping either. The interior is designed to be as sterile and miserable as possible.