Coming to a store near you…my dear readers, this brings me to yet another confession.
It concerns the Golden Arches.
You know, the Golden Arches, right?
Ronald McDonald, Fast Food and Happy Meals!
I have not been to a McDonald’s Inside or Drive Thru in a long time….and when I started noticing workmen and plumbers and electricians at my local McDonald’s, I assumed they were just sprucing up a tired decor.
But I was wrong.
It was more than adding an extra drive-through, ….much, much more and with a bit more consequence.
Today, the Captain and I decided to go to McDonald’s for a quick breakfast sandwich as both of us have a busy day scheduled.
And the first thing I saw as I walked in the door was the Kiosk number 6.
“Is this where we order now?….” I mused to the Captain, …but as we walked further in, I saw that the counter was still there, albeit not the familiar counter of yesteryear.
We also noticed the crisp black uniforms and ball caps of the employees.
Gone were the polyester brown uniforms, with a wrinkle here and there and straggly bits of long hair sticking out from under brown ball caps. (However, there was a blue shirted individual who I assumed was the manager…or the janitor as she was quick to grab a mop and mop up drips of milk on the floor)
The employees seemed to stand a bit straighter and offer to help came freely.
This was definitely not the McDonald’s of my children’s youth.
We ordered our sandwiches and coffee and sat down at a semi-soft booth encased in black vinyl. The children’s playground had long been gone from the front of the building and I gazed around at the new decor, noting that catering to children no longer seemed a priority. The only sign that a child might be welcomed were the “balloon trees” of bright yellow, with black and orange balloons festooned to the top and bottom and placed strategically around the room.
The decor inside and out was sorta sophisticated…the Millenniums were definitely the focus now. Mickey D’s is now McCafe, as noted on the frosted partition and on the super-glazed charcoal painted woodwork and trim. Gone are the bright reds and and bright yellows.
If you follow the news, you will remember that fast food workers across the country are protesting for a higher minimum wage. $15.00 an hour.
The Captain made the comment that there seems to be a common, not so subtle theme at work here.
In answer to workers demands for higher wages, the fast food market, particularly McDonald’s,… is sending a clear message to its workers….that a higher minimum wage will come with consequences.
Which brings me to the significance of the numbers on the two kiosks in the lobby….. They were numbered 6 and 7.
Where are numbers 1 through 5? Hmmmmm? Are the counter and drive-through help next?
We haven’t seen the life-sized figure of the red-haired clown, Ronald….. in a very, very long time. He went by the wayside when it was discovered he frightened some children.
However, my small twins loved to sit by him on the bench outside our hometown McDonald’s .
And now…the huge, bright, yellow golden arches no longer adorn the parking lot…is this a sign of things to come?. …pun intended.
Have a great day and be careful of the hot coffee!
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