McDonald's ruined my lifelong dream for middle age

For me, McDonald's was a heck of a lot of fun to visit in the 70s and 80s. I talked about some of my memories and experiences during those decades in my last McDonald's article, so take a peek if you missed it. In that post, I inferred that today's McDonald's simply cannot hold a candle to the McDonald's of old, and that's what today's article will discuss.

I wanna go back

Ninety percent of my childhood visits to McDonald's were in the mornings with my Dad. During those trips I marveled at the calm, quiet, and welcoming atmosphere that engulfed us. I remember all kinds of working men and retired gentlemen calmly starting their day off in the McDonald's dining room. I watched many a bloke methodically sipping coffee, eating their breakfast and reading the newspaper. 

I recognized that these men from all walks of life were starting their day leisurely and calmly, with an air of Zen about them. Men would talk politics, news, local events, fishing, the weather, etc. Some would simply pull up a table and watch the traffic roll by on the main street that ran through town. It all fascinated me to no end, and I swore as a young boy that I was going to start off my weekdays the same way when I grew up and became an "Old Guy". Sadly however, McDonald's has in part killed my boyhood dream of following through. 

My issues mainly have to do with the corporate unification of the restaurants themselves. They have been remodeled and restyled to a point where they are devoid of any character, charm and serenity. I would even go as far as saying many are downright unpleasant to dine at. When I began penning this article, I initially thought I may have been going off on another one of my 'Old Man Rants', but I now realize this is not the case. 

As I started drafting this article, I did a small sample poll at my place of business to see what kids I work with, from the ages of twenty-three to thirty years of age think of dining-in at McDonald's, and it was unanimous. Everyone hated it. One twenty-five year old gal I work with even made a gagging sound and said:

 "I CANNOT and WILL NOT eat inside of a McDonald's. That awful brown interior, the noise.. I can't even!". 

The general consensus among my friends is that the restaurants are way too bright, hectic, noisy, ugly, and unwelcoming. There was nothing we could all agree on, that would make any of us want to go inside of a McDonald's to eat. Who knows.. maybe McDonald's is making it less welcoming on purpose. I'll touch on this subject in a moment.

My favorite local McDonald's a couple of years ago..

The McDonald's buildings I remember from my youth and most of my adulthood. That classic Mansard roof with the beams that glowed bright yellow at night. 

The very same McDonald's location after a recent remodel..

Oy.. the new McCafé style of restaurants. I don't even know where to begin. The interior looks just as unimaginative and unwelcoming as the exterior. I no longer dine inside of this location, which was once my favorite local McDonald's. However, for the sake of this article, I decided to visit one this week before 8:00 a.m.

These joints are SO incredibly tiny now! I pretty much had the place to myself for most of my breakfast, but the decor and fixtures bounced and carried sound from every inch of the restaurant, to the corner table I was sitting at. 

I could very clearly hear the constant blare of timer alarms from the kitchen, as well as every conversation the employees were having. When the restaurant started getting busier, the noise really got annoying. Thankfully I was done eating and opted to finish my coffee on the road.

Call me old fashioned but..

I remember a time when carpenters and designers took pride in hiding the hardware that held up fixtures and decor.

So while it was no shock to me that the ambiance was horrid, there were some high points. For one, I got to try a Steak McGriddle for the very first time and really enjoyed it. The negatives were mitigated by the lovely management and staff. All were friendly, caring and attentive. They also had an attendant actively keeping the place absolutely spotless. A big shoutout to the staff at 16832 Corner Center Drive in Clermont Florida. 👍

Back in the day, I used to love dining at McDonald's for breakfast. The whole vibe was way more easy going and relaxing. This week I found the whole atmosphere (apart from a pleasant staff) to feel cold and unwelcoming. I also can't help but notice how much louder and chaotic it seems as well. I feel a bit anxious when I try to eat my breakfast there now. I noticed others appeared to feel the same way as well. Most scarfing down their meals, guzzling their coffee, and hurriedly getting on their way. 

I guess I can't blame what I feel and witness in their restaurants entirely on McDonald's. I realize society has changed quite a bit since the 70s and 80s, and we live in an much faster paced world. That being said, it seems McDonald's has fully embraced that culture.

A McDonald's in Northglenn Colorado I used to frequent.
A newer building with some nice retro touches

I have personally dined in McDonald's locations that had NO LOITERING signs posted right at the tables. If that doesn't make you feel pangs of neuroticism while dining, I don't what would. I can halfway understand McDonald's not wanting someone who paid next to nothing for some fast food sitting around loitering, but that line of philosophy doesn't exactly hold water for me personally these days. 

Getting customers in and out as quick as humanly possible turns a better profit for sure, but that's what the drive-thru is for. They may not want patrons who pay cheap prices, taking up space and 'loitering', but last time I checked, McDonald's is moving past cheap fast food prices at light speed. In fact, the prices of many McDonald's menu items are right on par with Chic-Fil-A prices. 

Then you've got those touch point kiosks that are right in your face as you walk into the joint. It's a preferred method for the public to use, and I get it. Automation can be a wonderful thing. I love walking into a Little Caesars and scanning the code on my phone, only to see their 'Pizza Portal' open up to present me with my piping hot order. However, automation in many instances has sucked the humanity and sense of community out of many a business, and it shows no signs of slowing up. 

Whenever I go on road trips and spot an older McDonald's, I try to stop in if time allows. Usually its for breakfast, and I take my order to-go because I'm on the road. However, I always take a moment to look around these older establishments. Many times, it appears as if they have remained untouched by time. Even if the interior has been updated, they still have way more character than today's restaurants. I also tend to see lots of locals sitting in groups chewing the fat, and a few people reading newspapers. That probably has to do with the closer knit communities that smaller towns tend to enjoy. 

Those older McDonald's are usually more abundant the further west I get from Florida, where the pace of life is quite a bit slower. Its a wonderful thing, and I hope the McDonald's McCafé resets take time getting to them, which will inevitably wipe the character and charm from those establishments as well.

I do hold out a wee bit of hope however. Many franchisee's have a bit more control over the aesthetic of their restaurants, and go the opposite route of corporate. When I lived in Virginia, I had a job that regularly took me to Williamsburg. A franchisee in that town had his store decked out like a diner from the 1950s with great murals, decorations, and even an old Wurlitzer juke box. I use to take a seat directly across from an elevated stage that displayed a beautiful red 1957 Chevy coupe. Stepping into that restaurant was truly like stepping back in time, and I truly loved it.

Largest McDonald's in the World
Orlando, Florida

Here near Orlando, we have the World's largest McDonald's. It has an arcade, incredible play area for kids, and I even got to eat pizza there.

 

McDonald's on Walt Disney World property
1596 W. Buena Vista Dr. FL, 82320

al fresco dining

Unique decor

My go-to 99% of the time are two regular hamburgers
The shake was a rare treat 

mostly because the shake machine was working

Exercise bikes that help power the restaurant
(or help to burn off 2 burgers and a shake)

The World's Largest and Eco-friendly restaurants are both worth a visit, and I highly recommend you check them out if you're visiting the Orlando area. I for one am glad I checked both off of my "McDonald's to see" list, but I have no desire to spend any real amount of time in either of them. They both have their very own unique vibe.. just not the vibe I am looking for personally.

Maybe my whole view on this matter will change a bit as I get older. After all, I had some incredible times hanging out on the front curb of a 7-11 with my friends when I was a kid. That's right, I said "the front curb". In the end, the location didn't matter as much as the people I was hanging out with. 

That being said, I would love to find just a little bit of that old McDonald's magic I experienced back in the day, and there doesn't even have to be that much of it. A little color, decoration, maybe some throwbacks to the chain's great history. The Egg McMuffins, Big Macs, and Shakes keep me vested, but a little retro magic would keep me hooked and even more engaged than I already am.

For now, I will continue eating McMuffins on my way to work, or somewhere else more pleasant like the tailgate of my truck in front of a lake. My radar is on high alert however for any form of old school McDonald's in my area. I don't even care if its a 70s, 80s, 90s, or early 2000s building. I have incredible memories of dining at McDonald's across all of those decades.

I wonder.. do kids these days even have magical or formative experiences at McDonald's? Will they have the same deep connection and interest that I have in the brand 50 years after my very first visit? I can't see how that is possible given the current state of their culture. But what do I know? Things change, people change, and God willing.. I will be along for the ride. 

I've always watched what McDonald's does with great interest, and will continue to do so for some time to come. There's still enough there to keep me interested in what they are doing. Especially when they embrace their roots. If nothing else, I've still got my favorite menu items and a lifetime of memories.