TiptronicS
125268
3353
43
Oct 5, 2020 11:05 AM
TiptronicS
125268
3353
43
Zero3Quarter
as a kid, mcdonalds had the party room in the basement. THE BASEMENT! they had BASEMENTS!!!!
consistentprogress
Aren't we all
Maxgaap
Same...
isaypoopythingabecausemostofyouannoyme
They’re trying to follow Starbucks building design. Give it that hipster coffeehouse look
BornToDoStuff
same?
snailedit69
We all have bro
CorneliusTunt
Things haven't been the same since the logo and name split up.
oldpotatoes
From fun and exciting to only watching shows about couples buying houses.
lance415
To compete against shack shake and other similar burger chains. McD closed their first store and saw declining sales.
GCRust
I mean, from a business perspective it's going to be easy to resell the property on the bottom so that might be a factor.
tasahl24
Boxatechture! Absolutely hideous...
TheFastpaws
They badly want to be seen as more than just awful quick food. Yet still serve garbage in the US compared to many other places.
MPatt08
I just realized I grew up as McDonald's did.
yallheardofthatnewbanddeath
Well what do you think happened to those happened fat kids that grew up eating McDonald's every weekend lol.. now depressed and middle-aged
PeterMus
They're a cheaper Starbucks while also replacing senior centers for retirees. My hometown McD easily has 40+ retirees each morning.
thisguyonline1988
Naw its called mature and modern.
Aaronb1138
The design was adopted because many nouveau riche douchebag neighborhoods with HOAs wouldn't allow old style McDs in their shopping centers.
Aaronb1138
Basically the same cohort of Gen X'ers and Millenials who fucked up the housing market with dual incomes paying their $3-500k mortgages.
DukeDarkwood
The one in my hometown renovated just the year before last. It's not just the outside that changes; the inside goes from "homey" to
DukeDarkwood
"sterile". It loses the atmosphere that makes dine-in eating an experience to take in. You're just going there to eat, then leave.
YourConcious
Reminds me of one of the Pendragon books. "You see, art makes people think. Blok didn't want people to think...
YourConcious
If that happened, they might have realized what was actually happening." D.J. McHale, The Quillan Games.
SpammaJamma
If you're eating at McDonald's, isn't that usually the case?
nero4ty2
nah, it's good every once in a while, and kids love it
Magjee
GeofrontTmP
Follow your customer. Then restart.
joe8992
Nope it’s local zoning ordinances not allowing the colors
ilovedogknots
Really?
joe8992
I work for my county’s zoning department, we basically regulate what buildings can look like and ehat colors they can use along main roads
Grimmy32
Doubt it, it's the look they've used in many countries for a few years now. It's just a design change.
FormerlySable
Depends on the place, but yeah, some cities in the US have very stringent building codes for“aesthetic” reasons.
The2Twenty
There was a docu on it. In order to feign higher quality, they started making their buildings look like Panera, etc. All brands do it now.
The2Twenty
Trick you into thinking that it is a better quality restaurant than it is... Ooooo they have fresh beef now... ... ...
Kuhmeister
No
malachilenomade
I always found the original design pretty gaudy but I prefer when they design to match their environment (so few, though).
BrickShakes
They are just adapting to sell more burgers. McD didn't change one bit, we did.
Rhewin
Ok, who asked for this other than a marketer who decided people liked a gray rectangle? I would go out of my way for the first.
OnlyHereCauseImDroppinOffSomeKids
Market research. McD's spends millions a year finding out what people like and since the mid 2000s its sleek and minimalist.
OnlyHereCauseImDroppinOffSomeKids
Remember what the 70s looked like? There was a time oranges and browns where the big look. Cars are another, now there's like 4 main colours
BrickShakes
They don't decide what people like, they got so much money they can just test it and choose what sells more.
BrickShakes
Your mistake is assuming that McD cares about anything else than money, it doesn't, humans do, not corporations.
HeretiCorpHasAnDFAcannon
The McDonald's management team felt uncomfortable holding meeting in the old one. Seriously, I think they still targeting the same audience.
HeretiCorpHasAnDFAcannon
Same audience, I mean same group of ppl from the 90s who grew up with McDonald's. I believe they're still the target audience.
ThatOrangeApple
Definitely. As a former McD employee, they bank on 90s kids being low-key addicted to it. No health-conscious parent gives it to their kids
ALovelyTime
The goddamn McMuffins. Why can’t I quit you?
FiendishDoctorWuTangClan
Fat and salt make brain send happy chemical.
capughe
Don't forget sugar
itisanimgurnaccount
I would like the happy chemical plz
greenvajene
Happy child? That's no happy child! He tortures toys! Just for fun!
doctorwhoquotes
Knife-wrench!! For kids!
TotallyNotASnail
But did you see the child smiling as he did it?
captainmobyahabdick
No idea why you were downvoted. People round here don’t like Toy Story I guess.
consistentprogress
That technically was my childhood. I'm Sid
Donjauntauntaun
PiippolanWaari
misteremjay
Design trend right now, Philly is filled with new construction, all shitty boring grey boxes
drunkcat
Is this how brutalism started?
senradbivab
Can confirm, grey scale is everywhere now
Myfirstgirlfriendturnedintothemoon
Columbus, OH is the same
DanOrtega
Is it just me or is architecture heralding the dystopian near future to come?
BigTittyJesus
I like shitty boring grey boxes
veteransgrow
That’s all of Phoenix, az right now
ZircZZ
Yeah, it's the same here in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It's a global trend, unfortunately.
Castradomis
Yup. Now leasing! Only 10k a month! Gentrification ?
misteremjay
Upside of Philly, luxury here is still relatively affordable, even in high-rise condos. It's why a ton of NYC people are moving down
kamakaziK
Little boxes on the hillside. Little boxes made of ticky-tacky. Little boxes on the hillside. Little boxes all the same.
squirrelgirl86
There's a red one, and a green one and a pink one and a purple one and they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.
kamakaziK
Except in this case it goes "There's a grey one and a black one and a dark one and charcoal one"
thewiggins
they use the same 4 generic colours around here, they just change what section each is on
TheGhostofLionelHutz
GO BIRDS!
014368346
Nice, an apartment that matches my personality.
doppelfisch
Reminds me of Brutalism.
CaptainKalus
wow how do you take personality away from a literal brick
dishonestdaniel
Looks beautiful and sleek to me :(
misteremjay
It's not terrible, just this is the default for everything right now and it looks bad against old brick row homes
Sauroctonus
Would look nicer if it wasn't all in battleship grey.
vincethesink
I legit thought this was the new complex finishing up down the road in metro Detroit. Same weird bulges.
DanFendi
Did the Soviets actually lose the Cold War, or did they just go deep enough underground to hollow out our corpse and use it for shelter?
Cranbananarama
When do the obey/conform signs get put up?
Mairoa
Same, all the new houses down the road look like that. Really fits with the nearby farms. By fits, I mean looks like a crashed spaceship
Mairoa
I even think it would look okay if they didn't grab a ton of attention, especially right in the mountain views for the existing farms
AnonOmis1000
I had to enlarge cuz for a hot second I thought it was the apartment building I lived in in college.
kakari
I was expecting the IBC's latest standard of concrete ground floor with a few wood framed on top. That pic's more interesting than most!
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
My apartment building was a beautiful red brick. Last month it got painted gray.
thewiggins
they keep building expensive multi dwelling units here, and no one wants them, so they sit empty until a foreign buyer gets it
aslanlives
Raleigh NC checking in, same here
redsmerf
Google image search "Chroma Seattle" for the non-grey box version
RaccKing21
You should see socialist buildings here in Serbia... NOW THAT is a grey box.
chillerluvcats
Its replacing aged fucked up apartments. My luxury apartment used to be a crack den.
Mairoa
Not always. Here, they're plopping dozens of them in the middle of farmland, right in front of the mountain views. Crack den's got tenants
Thefreeeezian
Woof...
sololander
naa thats the new xbox innit??
ZorkFox
This could easily be my city. I thought it was until I read your comment. :(
jridley
It probably already has a name, but I'd call it "modern brutalism"
BlackCatCasper
Vacant commercial on the bottom, residential on top!
strideo
The commercial on the bottom is a good idea but you need things like cohesive commercial areas, fair rents, and a business friendly city. 1/
strideo
No one is gonna open a corner shop if it takes 5 months of various city department review on top of paying paying 8K a month in rent as 2/
strideo
well as paying 100k or more getting the interior planned, approved, finished, and stocked. A lot of people trying to open small 3/
strideo
businesses are already getting screwed before they even open the doors. This varies a lot from city to city but you'd think some cities 4/
misteremjay
Those will be filled quick with bars and CBT retailers
ERselly
During periods of hardship; people tend to revert back to bland color schemes. The same happens with clothing over modern history.
TypedThisWithMyPenis
Interesting. I’d like to learn more about this.
Choogie
I want to learn more, too!
strideo
Architecture just feels like it's in a sorry state these days. Most modern construction just depresses me with how bland it is.
Superfloofthundercat
I hear ya
FiendishDoctorWuTangClan
Probably just built as cheaply and quickly as possible. Box it in fill it with people to pay me now
scrubtastic115
Reminds me of soviet architecture. Bland and boring
FairyKingOberon
Its all about how cost-effective it is anymore. Wish we could invest in artistry like China or Japan
culinarydream7224
Didn't the Soviets do the same thing at some point? All new communities popping up seem to be identical low quality housing
strideo
So identical they even made a romantic comedy that jokes about it. The guy thought he was going home and he walks into a stranger's place.
RocketWookie
It's hard to beat concrete boxes in terms of affordability.
cominginhot
modern architecture 1920- is about the life inside not impressing the peasants outside
Mairoa
But making an actual eyesore for your neighbors? These might look okay in cities, but they're in farmland now, by the dozen. Ugly af
cominginhot
there are chinese rieducation camps for those that think that bottom is worse than top
strideo
Still the environment we create outside is important. Outdoor spaces are spaces too. Also art deco was awesome and I'd even take much 1/
strideo
of the mid century modern style over most of what we see being made now. 2/2
cominginhot
bottom is perfect considering the cheap materials used. Energy efficiency is king right now. the first rule of style is LESS IS MORE
arkuamore
People need houses they can afford. Cheap is boring.
strideo
And yet housing still becomes less and less affordable.
misteremjay
*Developers need cheap housing they can sell for a large profit. $$$$$ higher above average for the area
gradeD
You're right but that's absolutely not what's happening unfortunately.
culinarydream7224
Same thing in Minneapolis. An apartment just went up across the street that is identical to ours with 1 or 2 minor tweaks (for $100/mo more)
CoachMDBeast
Don’t even get me started about Dinkytown. I’m happy I went to the U of MN before they ruined that area.
mattbl
Could be worse...
randomwalrus
Shitty grey boxes can be just as interesting and engaging as anything else, it just requires effort. Brutalist architecture is something.
DukeDarkwood
When all of downtown is just a row of grey/tan/white boxes, it really, really isn't interesting or engaging.
privatepublic
It's part of the reason I have no interest in visiting various American cities. Compared to other parts of the world, downtown US is bland.
DukeDarkwood
It's gotten to the point where it's starting to affect suburban cities as well - but you can still find some good ones here and there.
culinarydream7224
Instead of gray apartments, suburbs are being flooded by blue-grey/beige townhouses
randomwalrus
True. But, it could be. If the boxes were unique and varied. Was my point. One can do much with just slight variations of shapes.
itisanimgurnaccount
If the dull grey boxes were unique and varied they wouldn't be dull grey boxes you nincompoop
randomwalrus
Something can be both a dull grey box, and unique. It just needs to be different than its neighbour(s). Even if only subtly.
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
Instead of Happy Meal, you get a Sad Millenial Meal. Comes with a single smoke and a denied job application.
RevArtillery
Denied? I just get ghosted.
FreddThundersen
Sad meallennial
insanitycontinuum
+ $1 for a CBD oil vaporizer cartridge
MattScifiBandit
I considered my self lucky when if I even got notice if an application was denied. Most of the time you hear absolutely nothing back.
Bigemedic
Throw in a warm can of PBR.
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
That's more Gen X. Millennial stereotype beer is unnecessarily bitter craft brew IPA
YouHaveNoodsAndIHaveAnInbox
And you dont buy it, you buy a monthly subscription that denies you a new job every month and gives bonus smokes for inviting your friends.
DoYouWannaKnowMySecretIdentity
Also a nostalgia based toy that's just not as good as the original.
YouThinkThatsBad
There was a restaurant in the Munich airport that had a “combo” which was a water, coffee, cigarette, and side of bread
FlamingDeathGoat
HA as if people call back to say denied, instead of just ghosting
TheShoctopus
The boomer in the room gets the food, you get the empty box
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
Don't worry, he trickles it to you eventually
TheShoctopus
Ewwww.....but yeah you're right.
n0n53n53
It'll come with a piece of avocado toast and cost $25.
DooksandPooks
Have you seen the dystopian McDonald building designs? They look so cool.
redroxyfox
Damn that hit me...
thenonworkinglight
"Oh, you don't have to pay for it now. Instead, you'll get crippling debt that will constantly change owners and be impossible to pay!"
rizion
And an IPA to drink
Fauxcused
Denied from McDonalds.
ratfacekilla
"Would you like failure with that?" I guess.
TheS4ndm4n
No thanks, I've got failure at home.
agermanguy
Failure at home :
Fishypants
And 40k worth of debt
jansenart
@OP Well that top one wasn't even a McDonalds to begin with.
z28cam947
And a college tuition debt of 40k.
zfournier16
Has nothing to do with being a millennial just sad n lazy
AmeliaTheDragon
Sad millenimeal you mean
TheRockDude
Sad McLlenimeal
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
We got fuckin Don Draper here, throwing out million dollar marketing pitches
Grimmy32
Ha! As if! The box will be empty - you'll have to figure out for yourself you were denied the job by a sheer lack of communication.
SecondSince
McBootstrap
AlmostScientist
Lol the best part is that the HR reps are around our age so instead of sending an email or call they just ghost you like a bad tinder match
thea1997
You mean any tinder match? Or is that just me? God, I’m lonely.
GayCanadianJew
Yeah seriously, it’s been years since I was told that I didn’t get a job without having to call to follow up.
mirrelle
I applied for 50 jobs when i hit working age. I got one interview and no 'you didn't get the job' from anyone.
bolobass
Ha! Sheer lack of communication is one of my strong points! Along with
DoneMessedUp
Oh that’s beautiful.
InsouciantSausage
-not finishing what you started?
InsouciantSausage
Same
N00k
Sa-
NoBones
my guess is this is cheaper under the guise of sleek and modern.
[deleted]
[deleted]
terminexTM
If it was all a ploy to help them out then good on McDonald’s ???
speershawks
Oh fuck yes I've remodeled McDonald's. All they wants is fair and cheap.
ineversteppedonthecrackscauseithoughtidhurtmymother
Design standards required by local jurisdictions led to this. When McD wanted to remodel a store they would need to conform to city code.
VodkaReindeer
You think changing the look of the stores is cheaper than not doing it? Okay.
AREUTHEMAN
Let alone the property can be resold easier, I used to live by a investment brokerage that had a pizza hut roof, wasn't open long lol.
graysongerni
Its so that fast food restaurants look more like a fast casual experience
ReginaKasteen
Easier to sell the building afterwards if the franchise doesn't do well.
damogen
My guess is that your country collectively descended into a depression. So Happy design with bright colors just seem out of place now
demonic
Plus most kids are glued to their cellphones anyways.
AFSamizdat
I think it has to do with selling coffee. Attracting those customers adds a revenue stream. They've already enterprised on children.
FeltNokia
A relative of mine works for corporate McD, and they say it's all about appealing to millennials. In general, fewer millennials than...
FeltNokia
... previous generations come to McD, and corporate thinks by making the buildings 'cooler' or sleeker or whatever more will come.
2graves
Well I stopped going because of prices tossing and quality falling, but sure, the building is nice
Skizzlesnap
Pfft. The franchisee has to foot the bill for renovations. We rewired a McDs once and the owner said it costs her $75k to do the...
Skizzlesnap
...renovations to her store just so they would put in a McCafe machine, which she says will probably only be used for smoothies.
Isexualiseeverything
That and simple changes in trends, to à more and more "flat design" https://youtu.be/lZOKOVLXoio
UVAChemE2013
Well let’s be real, it does look better. That red is pretty abrasive.
againchina
Was the fashion of the time
HeadJamistan
So was hanging an onion on your belt.
againchina
Give me five bees for a quarter!
011100000110100101100101
along with conforming to consumer expectations, https://youtu.be/o7sQEU6gXE4
OverMyDadBody
I think it looks better now. Not that I like their business ethics or food.
mohavewolfpup
Still the same vomit in a wrapper. They just need to give up trying to put lipstick on their food pig
OverMyDadBody
Right? I mean they really should learn from today's burger recipes. The difference is huge.
picklesue
It's also easier to avoid lawsuits when you don't children literally swinging from your rafters
againchina
Also can’t push that junk food on children like they used to
LtColThorin
Is that like do not animals?
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
Either that, or Pizza Hut sued McDonald's over the weird red roof and won
terminexTM
Pizza Hut doesn’t do it either now
BenderBendingRrrrrrodriguez
I was joking. I didn't know if Pizza Hut even still existed
Metalbawkses
Some still do, especially in rural areas
terminexTM
Are those the new buildings or just remodeled old ones?
Metalbawkses
Prob just remodeled ones left over from the 70s. One in my mom's town literally hasn't changed since then she says
Metalbawkses
And we got a full on 90s Taco Bell in my town.
Grimmy32
True, they were probably also tired of the "pandering to children" bullshit that parental groups kept attacking them for
SacrificialClam
Yea I feel like fast food these days is just as much for adults, if not more so. Adults don't need clowns and playscapes.
Grimmy32
I mean....I'd like a adult sized playscape if it's on offer...
TheGhostofLionelHutz
Since Super Size Me they can't really market their poison directly to children. Have to bank it off their parents, hence the design change
JayEnfield
It wasn't just the parents. There have been a lot of lawsuits and legislation against advertising to kids that have been pushing them away >
JayEnfield
from their old marketing strategies. And there are changing demographics to consider as well.
marsgoose
I liked that they were pandering to me as a child, it was a fun place to go. Although the US mcdonalds has gone to cheapest minimum viable
marsgoose
In Europe where it was always kinda pricey they started doing McCafes, and it's pretty decent for a chain.
thatsecondweirdguy
They do the greatest hot chocolate I have ever gotten! Sligthly annoyed with their lack of mocha though
marsgoose
US doesn't have a cafe culture, so it wouldn't work.
Ltrain5
Really all the McDonald’s by me in Northern Massachusetts are McCafe and feel almost more like a Starbucks.
Mairoa
US... Doesn't... Have.... A... *looks at the coffee shops and beer gardens every block in the Northwest* you sure?
CorneliusCornwall
Probably this. Haven't seen Ronald in a long time either.
GadenKerensky
I see that mostly associated with their Charity stuff now, usually far removed from their food advertising.
iamthisguy247
That could also do with the fact everyone finds clowns creepy now.
CorneliusCornwall
My dude people have always found clowns creepy.
Lichelf
But even more so now.
ScreamingGreenFrog
I always liked clowns personally. It's the new mascot that creeps me out