r/interestingasfuck • u/Charming_History7423 • 11d ago

/r/all McDonald's in the 80s compared to today

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u/GoAskAlice 11d ago edited 11d ago

Downtown Chicago used to have a two-story McDonald's that was heavily decorated in "early rock n roll". Mini jukeboxes at each table, photos and albums on the walls, zebra striped tables, even had a 57 Chevy with two 50's teeny bopper statues sitting in it, in the restaurant. Everywhere you looked, you saw dozens, if not hundreds, of bits of memorabilia. People would unknowingly wander in for a burger and stay for hours.

It has been remodeled into a soulless cavern of nothingness. I wanted to wail when I read about it and saw what had been done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T266cfW95m8

Seriously, why the FUCK would they do that? It was one of the coolest places around. *cries

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u/denialator 11d ago

Rock and roll McDonalds! Rock and roll McDonalds! Rock and roll McDonalds! Rock and roll McDonalds!

Rock over London, Rock on Chicago!

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u/AuRevoirFelicia 11d ago

Wheaties, breakfast of champions

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u/Vileness_fats 11d ago

He headbutted me in Portland, OR 26 years ago.

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u/NotAsleep_ 11d ago

How's Batman and Birdman doing these days?

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u/denialator 11d ago

He ridiculed me, calling me a bum

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u/NotAsleep_ 11d ago

You should kick their asses

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u/cheyennepeppr 11d ago

Memory unlocked. Back when the internet was cuter. What was that guy’s name?

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u/denialator 11d ago

Wesley Willis

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u/Admirable_Cicada_881 10d ago

Cuuuuut theeee mullllleetttttttt

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u/indigo_inamorata 10d ago

Now I want to watch Supersize Me

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u/murphsmodels 11d ago

I'm remember a McDonald's that used to sit over a highway. It was 2 stories and railroad themed. I wonder if it's still around.

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u/Raiders2112 11d ago

We had a couple of those in VA, but not quite to that level. Ours were just one story with a classic car in the window and some cool memorabilia etc. The last remaining one in my region was in York County, VA but it has succumbed to "modernization" as well. Sad to see it go.

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u/Business-Glass-1381 11d ago

I worked as an artist at the Fond du Lac company responsible for that (and many other) rock-themed McD's in the 90's. That was a fun job.

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u/GoAskAlice 11d ago

Oh man, if you have any pics, I'd LOVE to see them.

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u/footpole 11d ago

There was one one in Helsinki too but they renovated it two years ago.

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u/turdor 11d ago

In the UK we had one that looked like a UFO

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u/GB1987IS 11d ago

It makes more money for you to eat your food and get out then to stay around. Thats why.

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u/LoserBustanyama 11d ago

Aw man I totally forgot about Rock and Roll McDonald’s, and now I’m a little sad it’s gone. That, fao Schwartz? And rainforest cafe got me AMPED back in the day

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u/YahMahn25 11d ago

They would unknowingly wander in... to a McD's?

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u/Narissis 10d ago

Quinton Reviews did a video a couple years ago about the de-theming of formerly themed McDonalds locations.

There used to be tons of them but the closest thing still extant might be the UFO-shaped one in Roswell.