eating your big mac with arne jacobsen
The Mid-Century Modernist asks, “Why are Europeans so much classier than Americans?” Can’t say I would agree across the board, but also can’t say I’ve ever been in a McDonald’s quite this awesome in any country. You’ll find it on Edgware Rd in London and it features the designs of the amazing Arne Jacobson. It seems to be a trend; his Series 7 and Swan chairs are spreading to more of the food chain’s locations throughout Europe. It does remind me of being in Paris quite a few years ago and insisting that we eat at the (no longer in business, apparently — at least I couldn’t find it online) French version of McDonald’s, Quikburger, where the promotional items weren’t cheap plastic movie tie-ins but drinking glasses made of actual glass and printed with glossy illustrations by Keith Haring. Sigh. - Mary T.
October 4th, 2007 at 6:00 am
I read a fabulous article last month on it. The Head of McDonald in France started this revolution. Apparently, they serve latte, cappuccinos.
The menus takes into account regional preferences. Lots of soups in Portugal. If there were McDonald like that in North America, I may visited there sometimes. I did not enter a McDonald restaurants in the last 5 years.
October 4th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I think the French chain you mean is BurgerQuik, though I didn’t find anything directly related to it on Google, just a “lit-erotic” story set there. I didn’t read it as I prefer my lit-erotica set in KFC…
There is at least one other design-y McDonalds in London on Upper Street. I have only seen either from the window of a bus because, although the chairs are cool, they do actually only serve McDonalds food there.
October 4th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Barring the inevitable Mcmuffin egg sand when on the road and without any other choice, I haven’t eaten in a Mcd’s in aprox 15 years, maybe more. And only about 5 of those egg sands, really.
It’s just that the Mcd’s over there are new - ours are from the 70’s mostly and we are stuck in that mode apparently.
Although I have peeked into a few of the nicely designed outposts abroad - still not eating that food - ewww
October 5th, 2007 at 6:46 am
The burger chain your’re thinking of is “Quick”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_(restaurant_chain)
Talking about seats in french McDonald’s, the one in Parly2 mall (next to Versailles) is filled with Eames DAR armchairs.