The Lost Vibrance of American Fast Food

The other day, I saw a TikTok showcasing the old “Global Coffee House” style of a late 2000s Starbucks. With the warm lighting of the funky-shaped accent lamps, the redwood-stained chairs with paisley cushions, and the swirly watercolor paintings that covered the walls, I felt like I was five again. This aesthetic is such a product of its time and one that is largely obsolete nowadays. When I think of how restaurants — specifically fast food chains — looked when I was younger, they are almost unrecognizable compared to their modern-day counterparts. The brightly colored plastic slides of McDonald’s playscapes, the fully tiled and red accented Chick-fil-A’s, or even the food court section of a Target that used to have neon signs above the Icee machine. The once fun, vibrant interiors are now replaced with what I can only describe as an assortment of beige minimalist office decor. Why is it that brands that built up their success with such loud and unique interiors have turned against what made them stand out in the first place? Why does every rebrand exude the same energy as an Office Depot? 

Modern grayscale Mcdonald’s

When I think of juggernauts of old fast food design, one name stands out among the rest: McDonald's. The brand, even in the early days of the fifties, used interesting Interior and exterior architecture to draw in customers and make the chain pop among its competitors. The brand's symbol of the Golden Arches (now one of the most recognizable symbols in the world) was reflected in the shape and style of the first location, embracing the mid-century modern aesthetic at the time. With such bold aesthetic choices regarding their locations, McDonald's began to create one of the strongest brand identities ever. One distinct asset of McDonald's that most of you probably remember from childhood was implemented in 1971: the very first PlayPlace. Believe It or Not, McDonald's was the first restaurant to create a “play zone” designated for children. It was created as a way to advertise McDonald's as a place where “parents could get away” while simultaneously having a way to entertain their children. The designs of the play places often featured things such as slides, ball pits, and, later on, video games, each featuring rainbow coloring based on the “McDonaldland” commercial series. 

First Mcdonald’s building

Fast forward to the 1980s/90s, when loud colors and quirky design choices were everywhere. It seemed as though, no matter where you were or what you were buying, bright colors and shapes were a necessity. McDonald's wanted to stay caught up with current trends and began to change its branding and location designs completely. The brand introduced a whole new range of characters and commercials highlighting their changes to suit the modern consumer. Locations now featured murals of Ronald McDonald and the HamBurglar; booths were covered with bright nylon reds and yellows, and neon signage flashed throughout the restaurant. Other fast food brands also began to implement these changes in their respective locations as well, making the fast food market as a whole have its own notable vibe. 

A large portion of why there were so many McDonald's with particular themes is that in the eighties, McDonald's began to allow franchisees to have creative control over the interior designs of their restaurants. This resulted in some rather peculiar restaurants, such as UFO McDonald’s in Roswell, New Mexico, Train Mcdonald’s in Barstow, California, and my personal favorite, “Skinny” McDonald’s on Canal St in New York City. The conglomerate has even made a road trip map out of its destinations.  However, despite the loving embrace of its former creative locations in recent years, most McDonald's restaurants have phased out of the once-colorful looks and opted for a more modern, sleek appearance.

Around 2013, McDonald's started implementing new technology-based features into their restaurants, such as digital touchscreens for ordering, the introduction of their mobile app, and the addition of Coca-Cola Freestyle machines in select restaurants (the one change I was incredibly fond of as a kid). It wasn't just McDonald's where we began to see what seemed like a sudden rebrand in appearance; chains like Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and Taco Bell Also incorporated new minimalist designs in their restaurants. Looking at the time in which this happened, I believe the rise of the smartphone and Bluetooth technology as a whole had a large part to play in the sudden shift away from aesthetics. No longer did brands have to rely so heavily on an interesting-looking interior when the latest tech could be found in every restaurant. The corporate sentiment is that the customer would care more about the accessibility and ease of order than how the restaurant looked. The once cafeteria style of seating found in restaurants was swapped for an array of options; the funky murals of beloved characters were exchanged for lighting fixtures and stock photos of Burgers and Fries. Even playplaces were removed following the COVID-19 global pandemic, becoming a relic of time. I imagine it would be difficult to keep their previous aesthetic following such a significant change in the dining experience. Still, the brand's attempt to breathe life into their franchise and appeal to the modern-day makes sense. 

However, I still associate the vibrancy of the old-school style with many of these brand's identities. It's not just the fast food industry where the beige, ultra-modern look has taken precedence. It extends from houses all the way to children's toys. It seems as though the corporate design world has fallen out of love with maximalism. However, all hope doesn't seem to be lost. Mcdonald’s has recently introduced a new spin-off chain of their restaurants called Cosmcs, which features designs reminiscent of their old locations. The chain seems to be the conglomerate's attempt at venturing into the coffee/boba market, with colorful drinks and outer space adjacent decor in its interiors. With a rise in nostalgia and desire to capitalize on yet another market, could this shift back into more creative branding for the chain be possible? Only time will tell.