McDonald's Chicago Flagship facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McDonald's Chicago Flagship |
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The restaurant following the 2018 rebuild
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| General information | |
| Type | Restaurant |
| Address | 600 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60610, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°53′34″N 87°37′54″W / 41.8929°N 87.6316°W |
| Completed | 2018 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ross Barney Architects |
The McDonald's Chicago Flagship is a very special McDonald's restaurant in Chicago. It's known as a "flagship" location, which means it's one of the most important and famous stores.
This McDonald's first opened in 1983. It used to have a fun rock and roll theme. People called it the "Rock N Roll McDonald's." It was once the busiest McDonald's in the United States and a popular spot for tourists.
The original building was taken down in 2004. A new one opened in 2005. This new building could hold 300 people, which is much more than a regular McDonald's. It even had the first two-lane drive-through for McDonald's. There was also a small museum inside about McDonald's history.
In 2017, the restaurant was rebuilt again. This time, it became super eco-friendly. The rock and roll theme was removed. The new design won an award for being excellent in 2019.
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Where to Find This Famous McDonald's
This special McDonald's is in a part of Chicago called River North. It takes up a whole city block! You can find it between West Ontario Street and West Ohio Street. It's also between North LaSalle Street and North Clark Street.
Right across Clark Street, you'll find other cool themed restaurants. These include the Hard Rock Cafe and the Rainforest Cafe. It's a busy and fun area for visitors.
The History of the Chicago Flagship McDonald's
The Rock and Roll Theme Era
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McDonald's has been at 600 N. Clark Street since 1983. The building was rebuilt and reopened on April 15, 2005. It became a two-story flagship restaurant with a two-lane drive-through. This was the first McDonald's to have two drive-through lanes.
The reopening happened on the 50th anniversary of the very first McDonald's. That restaurant was opened by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955. Many famous people, like Colin Powell and Elton John, came to the celebration. Before it was rebuilt in 2004, this location was the 3rd busiest McDonald's in the U.S. It was the 12th busiest in the world. In the early 1990s, it was even the busiest in the entire United States!
This McDonald's had higher prices than other Chicago locations. This helped pay for its fancy inside. It had many flat-screen TVs and expensive Italian lights. The second floor had a coffee bar called McCafé. It served lattes, gelato, and biscotti. This was meant to compete with coffee shops like Starbucks.
The building itself was impressive. It had two huge 60-foot arches. It also had two stories of windows, each weighing 800 pounds. There were 10 cash registers to serve its 300 customers. This was three times the usual number for a McDonald's.
The restaurant also had two green roof gardens. The lower one could be seen from inside. The upper roof was only visible from tall buildings nearby. These roofs were not for customers to visit. The trash cans even said "thank you" in ten different languages!
Exploring the McDonald's Museum
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The back half of the upstairs area had a museum. It showed old McDonald's photos and items. You could see striped polyester uniforms from the 1960s. The displays were organized by decade, going back to the 1950s. They also included fun pop culture items. These included pet rocks, old cell phones, and 8-track tape players. Downstairs, there was a section called "Chicago Firsts." It highlighted things that started in Chicago.
The Rock and Roll Exhibit
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When the building had its rock and roll theme, there was a special exhibit. It showed memorabilia from rock and roll stars. It mostly focused on Elvis Presley. There were even statues of The Beatles that looked like their famous Abbey Road album cover. In late 2017, the museum changed. It removed the rock and roll items. It also added new features like self-order kiosks and table service.
The Modern Eco-Friendly Rebuild
On August 8, 2018, the newest version of the building opened. It has about 19,000 square feet of space, all on one floor. This is smaller than the previous two-story building. This new design makes it the Chicago Flagship McDonald's. It shows McDonald's new focus on being green and eco-friendly.
The building has over 1,000 solar panels. Its green roof grows apple trees, arugula, broccoli, kale, and native grasses. It is aiming for a special award called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum status. This award recognizes buildings that are very environmentally friendly.
The outside of the building uses less of the traditional red and gold McDonald's colors. The inside is modern, with ordering kiosks and table service. You can also use the McDonald's mobile app to order. McDonald's moved its main office to Chicago in June 2018.
More to Explore
- List of music museums
See also
In Spanish: Rock N Roll McDonald's para niños
