Last night I watched a show called, "Most Unique McDonald’s" on the Travel Channel.
The show consists of a guided tour with tour guide Peter Holden, a McDonald’s fanatic, who claims to have visited nearly 12,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the world.
From a McDonald’s on 42nd and Broadway with theater lighting and movie trailers shown on 60 video screens , to a McDonald’s that is architecturally shaped like an actual Happy Meal in Dallas, TX. (see image on the right).
Most McDonald’s I’ve seen have been run of the mill fast food restaurants. However, these franchisees set out to break the mold. Rather than building just another fast food stop, they’ve created destinations.
Here are some fun facts from the show
– The arches were originally part of the restaurant’s building structure and not meant to be part of the logo. (see right, click to enlarge).
– There are nearly six hundred McDonald’s locations in New York City.
– Willard Scott was the original Ronald McDonald.
If you’d like to watch the "Most Unique McDonald’s" for yourself, here is the complete TV schedule.
The Takeaway
Tell an authentic story and differentiate yourself. PR opportunities will come and people will talk about you, like Peter Holden.