The Travel Channel (USA) is running a show about the Top 10 Most Unique McDonald's in the world.Peter Holden, billed as the Number One McDonald's Fan, leads the viewer on a tour. He claims to have visited nearly 12,000 McDonald's!
During the show we learned:
- there are >30,000 McDonald's operating worldwide.
- the oldest operating McDonald's is in Downey California, USA.
- there is a McDonald's PlayPlace in Dallas, Texas, USA that is designed to look like a Happy Meal. The show declares this to be the happiest McDonald's in the world.
- there is a diner in the Lafayette, Indiana, USA McDonald's. It has over 120 menu items not offered at any other McDonald's. Sounds interesting but gimmicky.
- Peter Holden has NOT yet been to the Arctic Circle McDonald's in Pitea, Sweden. Customers there hit the drive-thru on snowmobiles!
- Montreal, Canada is the home of the world's most unique McDonald's Cafe. There's a regular McD next door if the gourmet latte isn't enough!
- a two-storey McDonald's in Orlando, Florida, USA houses a mega-PlayPlace which hosts over 750 birthday parties per year. Pizza is available. Upstairs offers an arcade and a huge maze.
- The Roma, Italy McDonald's sits in the center of this great city. It is the most opulent McDonald's in the show - and maybe the world. This store has >800 seats! Their Big Macs are reportedly the most expensive in the world.
The McChronicles loved seeing some of the restaurants we have visited, especially the Times Square (New York City) store which, reportedly, has the largest McDonald's kitchen in the world. We also were quite interested in the stores that we have yet to enjoy.
The show will run through February 2008. Here is the schedule of next showings.
Check it out if you can.
The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.
Image: Travel Channel logo from discovery.com.
33 comments:
I'm watching the 11pm (Central US) showing.
NCIS was also on at 7.
I looked up the diner, and saw that it was being shut down in '04.
When was this originally made?
VERY interesting!
The McChronicles noted a few things about the show that seemed a bit lame, such as:
- so many of the restaurants were in the USA.
- the "tour" given by the Top Fan was intermittent. He didn't appear at all 10 stores in the show.
- some of the video footage was from other McDonald's stories that were seen previously.
The McChronicles is beginning to wonder if this show wasn't pieced together from existing footage, and hodgepodged to make something "new". If that diner was truly changing almost 4 years ago, then this show should be amended to reflect that - you are right.
THANKS Kaitlyn!
Glad I looked into McDiner; was looking forward to stopping there next time thru. I can't believe it has been closed for over 3 years & they showed it. boo hoo by McSadden
I too, Saw the same channel. That is not right that they were showing that, I just watched it last night. I too found that they were closed several years ago. It said it was just a trial to see how they was recieved by the consumers. Darn, Wish they still had it.
Peter Holden should visit the one on State St in Santa Barbara, California. It's where they served the first Egg McMuffin
I watched that show too. Can anyone provide the city in Virginia where one of the other unique McDonald's is located? The "elegant" one?? Does anyone have the list of all those unique McDonalds? I checked the TravelChannel site, but the 10 have been removed... :-(
Thanks to anyone who can help.
The diner was a test. They are still around but called Red Robin not McDonald's They have a different menu then the regular McDonalds. The info is from other sources that I came across.
I just wrote to mcdonalds and ask them why they would have that diner shown when it has been gone for four years now I really wanted to go bye there now we can't so I think we all should write to them and let them know we want it back!
The most elegant Mcdonalds is in Ashville NC it is beautiful.
We recently visited that McDonald's in Orlando. Big mistake. Half of it was shut down or inoperative. The staff was a study in disorganization.
Total waste of time...
The footage of "Lafayette" is actually of Bloomington, IN. Though the McDiner used to be in Lafayette, till McDonald's gave up on the idea.
what the heck.!!! we are going through that way tomorrow and was looking forward to stopping in this really sucks....thanks for the info!!
Man this is some BS how they gonna keep showing this shit on tv and still yet not to correct it and say its closed down im pissed was so looking to going to the mc diner see if i watch this show ever again
On 06/20/2008, Greg said that the McDonald's Diners are still around but now called Red Robin. A check of Red Robin's website reveals that they were started in Seattle and are not affiliated with McDonald's.
Actually, the McDonald's with the Diner inside WAS a test market. The first one opened in Kokomo, IN in about 1993 or 1994. They also opened the one in Lafayette, IN later. Both still stand AND look the same, but the Diner part has been discontinued for several years. They are just a regular McDonald's now. The newest thing is the McCafe, which is being installed in many of the stores.
Sorry for the misinformation about the date...apparently it was in 2001 that the McDiner in Kokomo opened. It sure seemed like it was in the 1990s....
damn, i was going to do a research paper on the unique McDonalds for my hospitality class. no wonder i can't find any information on them!
I'm watching the Most Unique McDonalds right now as I type. I gotta visit Downey, CA so I can be part of history. I also might add that I thought the McDonalds neon server was adorable. I really want to go to the McDonalds museum.
Too bad the McDonald's riverboat in St. Louis closed, it would easily be the number one most unique, as who else has a FLOATING McDonald's??? NO ONE, THAT'S WHO! It was the ONLY floating McDonald's in the world! It was open from 1980 to 2000, and left because of a huge decline in tourism in St Louis- mostly because of those casino boats, they killed the McDonald's riverboat!!!
The reason Rod was confused on the start of the McDiner test was that in 1993 a single test store was set up in Hartsville, TN, called the Golden Arch Cafe. It was commonly, but unofficially,referred to as "McDiner". Totally different concept from the 2001 McDiners. See http://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/31/business/mcdonald-s-opens-a-diner.html for details.
There was another floating mcdonalds that was open from 1994 its now a BK it was on the HSS Super Ferry from Holyhead to Ireland.
I watch the travel channel all the time; lastnight was outrageous seen all those McDonald's of the world I know that diner was close years ago.but hey who knows why they show it. While I was younger in the 60's how the first Mc Donald was it had mm, the golden arches in its roof and floors like they show lastnight that what remember and my children was small they saw all the little characters like Hambuger came to our table and made them laugh.. I and my kids been Mc Donald's love forever I will be taking that trip soon just to see all Mc around the world...
There is a closed down mcdonalds in Adak, Ak. Cool to look in on a place that seems frozen in time. Aside from leaves and dirt on the floor, and a few other minor details, it looked as if you could still walk in and order a burger.
There is a McDonalds just outside of RAF Alconbury in England that looks like a large cement flying saucer. We only ate there once, wasn't very inviting, but how often do you eat inside a UFO?
We also stumbled across a McDonalds in the maze of small backstreets in Venice of all places. It was tucked inside one of the old buildings there.
this mcdonalds show is stupid
The Travel chanel is now showing the McDonalds show. How disapointing to find out that the dinner is closed. Wanted to go there sometime soon. Oh well can't believe all you see on TV
We recently moved to Indiana and I was just planning a trip to the McDiner. My family has wanted to do this since we knew we were moving. How disappointing that the McDiner isn't there!
FYI - The St. Louis floating McDonalds was way cool, I remember it as a kid. I hate to hear its not there either.
The McDonald's in Valdosta, GA are unique, they are the slowest and most careless in the world.
Man this is some BS how they gonna keep showing this shit on tv and still yet not to correct it and say its closed down im pissed was so looking to going to the mc diner see if i watch this show ever again
I haven't watched TV regularly in a decade, I find I'm a better person for having done so!
They also opened the one in Lafayette, IN later. Both still stand AND look the same, but the Diner part has been discontinued for several years. They are just a regular McDonald's now. The newest thing is the McCafe, which is being installed in many of the stores.
Like the ones in my town. At least that's one test marketed concept that's doing well for 'em. I miss the time they had pizza at my McD's back in the 90's.
Too bad the McDonald's riverboat in St. Louis closed, it would easily be the number one most unique, as who else has a FLOATING McDonald's??? NO ONE, THAT'S WHO! It was the ONLY floating McDonald's in the world! It was open from 1980 to 2000, and left because of a huge decline in tourism in St Louis- mostly because of those casino boats, they killed the McDonald's riverboat!!!
That must've sucked.
The McDonald's in Valdosta, GA are unique, they are the slowest and most careless in the world.
Sounds like the ones in Toledo, OH! Not bad for a town that had the 500th store in the world back in the 60's.
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McDiner Tipton
worlds greatest
Years ago I used to go to the McDonalds on the riverboat in St Louis. Sadly it's no longer.
I have been to the McDonalds in Orlando, New York, and Dallas locations as well.
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