Design on many, many dimes

This is probably a “San Francisco thing,” but I don’t know many people who still frequent fast food restaurants.

Maybe this will change when McDonald’s spends $2.4 billion dollars next year to renovate its stores. Yes, that’s “billion” with a “b.” Isn’t it great to have a huge budget?

Although the term “fast food” has a negative stigma, the concept of cheap and convenient grub is far from obsolete. People seem to keep getting busier, right? The industry has already started to adapt to the needs of the increasingly health-conscious public with menu items like snack wraps and smoothies. It’s a long way to go to convince me to eat there, but hey, it’s a start.

McDonald’s has been under attack for a while now by the media (e.g. Fast Food Nation and Super Size Me). It’s not surprising that big brands are big targets, since they are often the face of a whole industry. However, you have to admit that the new stores, which resemble upscale wine bars, look pretty cool. Since people judge books by their covers all the time, it might even persuade me to take a gander into my nearest McD.

Do you think the McDonalds customer cares about design? Or are they trying to go after a new customer? As my former co-worker says, some brands can’t stop trying to date the girl who doesn’t want to date it.

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