Because there are so many other places that I can eat, I don't often eat at McDonald's, but news that the chain's new outpost at their new headquarters in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago would offer items from a variety of its international locations made me curious. I went to see for myself what the new restaurant in one of the city's trendiest (and tastiest) neighborhoods is like, as well as to try those international menu items for myself.
The first thing I noticed was that the word about this place has clearly spread quite quickly. It was pretty full, even on a sleepy, rainy Sunday afternoon. Not everyone was there to eat, either. There were plenty of people just wandering in to see it for themselves.
Inside, it looks little like any McDonald's you're used to seeing, featuring digital ordering kiosks and a more modern look.
There was quite a bit of seating in the restaurant, which connects (for those with access) to the corporate offices and Hamburger University also located at the headquarters. The company also seems to have made an effort to make the space fit in, aesthetically-speaking, to its new neighborhood, coordinating with the other shiny new high-rises that have been cropping up around the neighborhood.
The international items will rotate periodically to feature all different kinds of things that American McDonald's eaters can't typically access at their neighborhood or road-trip McDonald's. It currently features items from Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Brazil, and France, as well as an Australian coffee bar and “Latin American dessert bar,” per a McDonald's press release.
The menu didn't go over well with Chicago Tribune food writers, but I wanted to give it a try for myself.
I ordered almost every international offering at the restaurant, except for the coffee drinks and pastries, and ending up shelling out about $30.
I tried all the main dishes.
In all, I purchased two sandwiches, two salads, a side of fries, and a McFlurry.
The manager on duty at the time told me that, so far, the international menu items are extremely popular. She added that one group even drove three hours just to eat there and try the international menu and that people call to ask if they're the ones serving it.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider