The Very Official McDonalds (and other fast food outlets) Thread

[WillPS]

The Arena one in Sheffield also seems to be becoming a Wendy's. Think the Crystal Peaks one is still going tho.

I've always had really good food from the Blackpool one, love their batter.

Tasty Plaice is another Fish & Chip chain which seems to be clinging on to dear life having opened in every food court going pre-pandemic.

A quick search on Companies House suggests that "Square Burgers Limited" is a company that the directors of Papa's are involved in, and are the franchisee for an ex-Papa's site in Hull.

Yeah, expect more of this. Papa's and Wendy's UK are effectively the same company.

They absolutely are not. They're not even the master franchisee.

[gottago]

Found another rare (at least in London) McDonald's in Victoria Station with old school non-digital menus above the counter and no screens at all or even app service. The menus were still very much up to date with the Monopoly promo across them. Had a bit of vibe of printing CD booklets in the age of Spotify. I wonder how many stores these signs are being made for now. Are non-screen based stores still common in certain areas or are the very much a dying breed like they are in London?

[woah]

Found another rare (at least in London) McDonald's in Victoria Station with old school non-digital menus above the counter and no screens at all or even app service. The menus were still very much up to date with the Monopoly promo across them. Had a bit of vibe of printing CD booklets in the age of Spotify. I wonder how many stores these signs are being made for now. Are non-screen based stores still common in certain areas or are the very much a dying breed like they are in London?

The only other one I know of is in the West One shopping centre on Oxford Street in London. There can't be many left now - I'm surprised McDonalds UK is OK with stores operating without app service.

[Andrew]

I think Burger King snuck their price rises in beforehand so it seems less bad now. You also get the unlimited refills... or at least nobody ever questions you using the freestyle machines endlessly.

Costa's food is extortionate now. The breakfast wrap is now £5.50 which means if you have that and a bog standard latte you're up at £9 which, to me, is airport money.

McDonalds also fudged their launch of their "breakfast muffin and drink deal" (aka a mcmuffin meal where you have to buy the hash brown separately) which made me v. cynical of their offers. The 3 for £3 is decent when you can find it on the app.

I’ve been redeeming free hash browns with the rewards on the app in conjunction with this, to make up the full meal

I see they’ve now introduced a £5 Meal Deal where you get a cheeseburger, medium fries, medium drink, but then also a ‘bonus side’ of 4 chicken nuggets

I tried it the other day, having the nuggets was novel, but the cheeseburger was smaller than I remember and seemed so flat and squashed as if they’d thrown it across the restaurant first. They never look like they do in the picture.


A meal at a Burger King on the motorway is now £9.49 which is stupid even at motorway prices. Go over £10 and they’ll get people turning round and getting back in the car

[WillPS]

I was reading earlier that the Halloween vampire or whatever burgers at Alton Towers are £20 for a meal with fries and a drink now. Pretty outrageous.

[AGuyFromUpNorth]

Wow, I have often wondered how many 'old-school' McDonald's (and KFC / Burger Kings) are still in existence in this country. I know there are a few left overseas but companies seem to be pretty quick at keeping their restaurants up to date over here.

I know the Burger King in Grimsby used to be quite retro on the inside. They had the red and silver 'American diner' type seating and the chequered borders going around the walls, and those big light-up things with the old BK logo on them that showcased certain menu items inside above the seating. It might have been updated by now, I don't know.

[gottago]

Wow, I have often wondered how many 'old-school' McDonald's (and KFC / Burger Kings) are still in existence in this country. I know there are a few left overseas but companies seem to be pretty quick at keeping their restaurants up to date over here.

Sofia in Bulgaria was full of very old school branches when I went this year. A proper snapshot of McDonalds here in the 90s - those old dark marble tables and old brown light up signs above the counter. Stick a branch-organised kids party in there and it really could have been 1995.

[JetixFann450]

Went ahead and tried the McRib yesterday and thought it was pretty alright. The BBQ sauce definitely adds a lot to the McRib's flavour. Not sure if it was worth the hype, considering I was always seeing memes on the internet about how grand it was, and especially in the US where it has gained a lot of infamy.

[Zimba]

Wow, I have often wondered how many 'old-school' McDonald's (and KFC / Burger Kings) are still in existence in this country. I know there are a few left overseas but companies seem to be pretty quick at keeping their restaurants up to date over here.

I know the Burger King in Grimsby used to be quite retro on the inside. They had the red and silver 'American diner' type seating and the chequered borders going around the walls, and those big light-up things with the old BK logo on them that showcased certain menu items inside above the seating. It might have been updated by now, I don't know.

Not strictly fast food of that type but there's an extremely retro Greggs at West Denton in Newcastle. Just had a look for planning applications and it appears it opened in 1979, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's never been refurbished since.

Very bizarre considering their estate is generally quite modern, it's just as if they forgot it exists. No photos online which I can find though.

Mind it also makes you notice that Gregg's isn't a bakers anymore as 2/3 of the counters are just completely abandoned with the shelving still there where the bread used to be aswell.



The second photo I'm sure is the counters which is still has to this date, but I might be wrong. They're very similar though.

[AGuyFromUpNorth]

Wow, I have often wondered how many 'old-school' McDonald's (and KFC / Burger Kings) are still in existence in this country. I know there are a few left overseas but companies seem to be pretty quick at keeping their restaurants up to date over here.

I know the Burger King in Grimsby used to be quite retro on the inside. They had the red and silver 'American diner' type seating and the chequered borders going around the walls, and those big light-up things with the old BK logo on them that showcased certain menu items inside above the seating. It might have been updated by now, I don't know.

Not strictly fast food of that type but there's an extremely retro Greggs at West Denton in Newcastle. Just had a look for planning applications and it appears it opened in 1979, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's never been refurbished since.

Very bizarre considering their estate is generally quite modern, it's just as if they forgot it exists. No photos online which I can find though.

Mind it also makes you notice that Gregg's isn't a bakers anymore as 2/3 of the counters are just completely abandoned with the shelving still there where the bread used to be aswell.



The second photo I'm sure is the counters which is still has to this date, but I might be wrong. They're very similar though.

The Elephant & Castle Greggs in London had the 1980's shop front signage until it closed in 2020.

Interestingly enough the Morrisons in the West Denton shopping centre still has the the original 1990's Market Street architecture inside, which is interesting since the bulkhead signage seems to have been replaced at least three times within the last few years.

Another chain which is slow at modernising their restaurants (if you can call them restaurants) is Subway - there's probably more shops with the 2002 logo on the signage than the current one, which they brought out in 2016. Plus a lot of the interiors are looking quite dated now, they haven't really aged well imo.

[Zimba]

The Elephant & Castle Greggs in London had the 1980's shop front signage until it closed in 2020.

Interestingly enough the Morrisons in the West Denton shopping centre still has the the original 1990's Market Street architecture inside, which is interesting since the bulkhead signage seems to have been replaced at least three times within the last few years.

Another chain which is slow at modernising their restaurants (if you can call them restaurants) is Subway - there's probably more shops with the 2002 logo on the signage than the current one, which they brought out in 2016. Plus a lot of the interiors are looking quite dated now, they haven't really aged well imo.

Aye seen that, that whole place was just weird as an understatement (Elephant and Castle).

It's finally had a refurbishment btw, well quick paint job and new signs. It's still a complete dive though, you'd never believe that the thing opened in 2009/10 compared to the likes of Blyth, Morpeth and Blaydon which were only a couple years later and are a world apart.

Yeah you're right with Subway, have they actually ever changed the store design? Still the same isn't it? Mind it's not somewhere I ever go as I don't really see the point of it as it's just expensive for what you get really.