There’s a number of two-storey McDonalds places in Toronto as well. One like Ludovic describes, with the second floor as eating space, is at the corner of Bloor and Runnymede, just outside the Runnymede subway station.
Another two-storey McD’s is on Bloor just across from the Royal Ontario Museum, but it’s in a classic 1970’s-style terra-cotta-brick-and-tile building with recessed entrance, split-level floor plan and all.
That whole block along the north side of Bloor is an odd mix: a couple of high-end hotels, an office building or two, and a jumble of fast-food eateries and small shops.
Across the road are the museum, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the parklike Philosopher’s Walk that gives access to the University of Toronto, and Varsity Staduim, all of which are being or have been renovated or rebuilt. Just to the east is the ritzy ultra-expensive shopping districts of Yorkville and the “Platinum Kilometre” along Bloor.
As a result, the west end of the block, which had a Harvey’s, a psychic, a French cafe, the local Krishna Copy, a couple of convenience stores, and a bunch of other places, was all closed and torn down. Now an expensive and snooty condominium tower is going in.
Since this condo will serve as the other ritzy bookend for the block, dramatically increasing the peer pressure of ritziness, I figure it won’t be long until that McDonalds closes or is drastically renovated.
Interesting articles. Looks like it’s usually a case of bad planning or moving too quickly. The second article states that while 175 restaurants would close in 2002, 600 would open in 2003! If they don’t work here, open 'em up over there. A total of 1617 stores in Latin America, and 30,000 worldwide. The mind boggles…
Not a McDonalds, but I wonder how often this situation comes up: a local Burger King closed down when the lease on the land was up and a new one built down the street, because it was cheaper to build a new building than try to retrofit the old one to the newer BK specs.
Makes me wonder how many own the land the franchises are built on.
There’s a former McDonald’s on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh that’s been gutted and turned into a men’s clothing store. They kept all the architecture though, right down to the tan faux-brick tiles outside.
On the topic of fast-food restaurants, North Carolina seems to be littered with boarded up or converted Hardees.
The last McDonald’s in Trinidad and Tobago, located in Port of Spain, was boarded up while I lived there. One of many positive things I have to say about TnT.
There’s a (very bad) Chinese take-out right down the street from me in what had to have been a Checkers – small store with double pull-through and tiled walls, even has race flags barely covered with sheeting.
The first McDonald’s I ever went to, in Naperville IL, closed up because it was built without a drive up window. It’s since been replaced by bunch more stores. The old location is now one of those “Bars of Death” that no matter what opens in the new building, it’ll be gone inside of a month or two.
Yep, a little before I moved to Lynn. I knew folks who lived there at the time, and they would say that it was the first McD’s that ever had to close its doors. With a certain amount of humorous pride, I must say. And yet, not far away was the Capitol Diner, very much in operation to this day.
McDonald’s did that near here - on NW Highway in Arlington Heights - they closed one building and built one right next to it. The old one is now a closed restaurant of another type. There’s a Burger King (new one) right next to it.
ETA - I think, if I remember correctly, there is a two story McDonald’s (it might be a Burger King - I haven’t been down there in ages) downtown somewhere on Michigan Ave, kinda near Water Tower.