ByClaire Nowak
Updated: Aug. 23, 2024
Your local McDonald's has nothing on these architectural feats of fast food fandom.
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The Oversized Happy Meal
There’s no way anyone could mistake this building for anything other than a McDonald’s. The gigantic Happy Meal-shaped restaurant in Dallas, Texas, is covered with paintings of famous McDonald’s characters. Inside, you’ll find one of the biggest Playplaces in any McDonald’s—plus Ralph Lauren wallpaper, mahogany booths, and chandeliers. That’s probably the best surprise you can find in any Happy Meal box.
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A McDonald’s Fit for The Queen
London is filled with majestic architectural marvels fit for royalty, so it’s no wonder that this McDonald’s looks like a miniature palace of its own. You’ll find this location near Soho, a neighborhood known for its theaters, nightlife, and shopping. To learn more about McDonald’s, check out these75 mind-blowing facts about McDonald’s.
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Air Force Ronald
Between 1961 and 1966, this airplane was used by South Pacific Airlines. Now, it’s attached to a McDonald’s in Taupo, New Zealand. You can even eat your Big Mac on the plane!
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McDonald’s Imperial
This ritzy location in Porto, Portugal, was originally called the Imperial Café before it became a McDonald’s in 1995. It got the name “Imperial” from the eagle that now sits atop the restaurant’s sign above its front doors. People from all over come to see the crystal chandeliers, ornate stained glass windows, and, of course, the menu. Don’t worry; its prices are nowhere near those at the most expensive McDonald’s in the world.
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An Antique McDonald’s
We can only guess how a fast food chain ended up in this historic-looking building in Debrecen, Hungary, but it must draw a crowd that’s both curious and hungry. (Get it? Hungry in Hungary? We’ll see ourselves out.)
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McPink
This photo is just more proof that the world’s most ornate McDonald’s locations are in Europe. In Varna, Bulgaria, visitors and locals can dine on McNuggets, McFlurries, and McEverything else inside this fancy, pink restaurant.
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McDonald’s Observatory
OK, so this McDonald’s doesn’t actually have an observatory or planetarium attached to it, but it definitely looks like it. Plus, you have a great view of the Eastern European scenery of Tbilisi, Georgia.If you want to stick to your diet, check out the healthiest things you can order at McDonald’s.
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A Historic McDonald’s
The Birch House in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, was originally used as an office for a tin smelting plant called Eastern Smelting in 1908. The mansion was eventually abandoned, until Ivory Properties Group bought it in the early 2000s and turned it into the developers’ headquarters. And yes, the building now also houses a two-story, 24-hour McDonald’s, complete with drive-through.
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The Millennium McNugget
The southwest United States is ripe with folklore about extraterrestrials and UFOs. Maybe the architects behind this McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico, used that as their inspiration for this spaceship-themed restaurant. Or maybe they were just big fans of sci-fi movies.
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McDonald’s in the Round
Most McDonald’s locations have the same general structure: a plain building with a red roof and trademark golden arches. This circular restaurant in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, is almost the complete opposite. But it does make a statement, even without the arches.You won’t find any of these franchises in thenine countries that have banned McDonald’s.
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McDonald’s Italia
Maybe McDonald’s isn’t the first on your list of restaurants to visit in Italy, but if you’ve got the late-night munchies in Milan, stop by this fun location and chow down in this cute outdoor eating area.
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McDonald’s of the Future
Is this building an art museum? A bank? A laboratory where scientists are creating flying cars and teleportation devices? No. It is a McDonald’s in Batumi, Georgia, designed by Harvard graduate Giorgi Khmaladz. Its 460 glass panels give customers a clear view of the reflecting pool as they eat. Plus, there’s an upper level with an open-air patio. We’re definitely loving that. Now that you’re craving fries and a Big Mac, learn about these secrets McDonald’s employees won’t tell you.
Originally Published: June 26, 2019
Author
Claire Nowak
Claire is a writer, editor and digital strategist whose natural curiosity lends itself to delving into history, knowledge and "Did you know?" type stories. A former editor at Reader's Digest, she has more than a decade of experience reporting on facts, trivia and quotes, and her work also appears in Taste of Home, The Family Handyman, Urban Milwauk...
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