1. McDonald’s Taupo, New Zealand
I’m Lovin’ It Taupo, New Zealand, has the honor of being home to the only McDonald’s location that includes a decommissioned DC3 plane as part of the store. Imagine eating a Big Mac and fries in a vintage luxury plane. There are seats inside the plane for your dining enjoyment, and you can view the cockpit as well.
They have made it on the “10 coolest McDonald’s around the world” list. Don’t leave Taupo without a picture of yourself on the plane.
2. McDonald’s Orlando, Florida
This store in Florida is the world’s largest McDonald’s! The three-story, 19,000 sqft restaurant is definitely not your common McDonald’s, it is also known as an “Entertainment McDonald’s”, and earned its nickname Epic McD. It also houses a huge PlayPlace and an arcade filled with over 100 games.
Apart from that outside stands a 30-foot Ronald McDonald (the tallest in the world) lined with LED lighting. Orlando is well-known for its numerous theme parks and fabulous restaurants, but this McDonald’s may be one of the best family-friendly attractions in Florida.
3. McDonald’s Downey, California
This is the oldest operating McDonald’s in the world and the third store that was ever built. Opened in 1953, the store is a short 15-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles. It still retains much of the original features of the store, which may look unfamiliar to the modern McDonald’s stores we see today.
Very few early McDonald’s restaurants remain, largely because McDonald’s Corporation required its franchisees to update their buildings. The store also only has a single gold arch as opposed to the common double arches we see today.
4. McDonald’s Imperial, Porto, Portugal
McDonald’s Imperial has often been named the most beautiful McDonald’s store in the world. The store opened in 1995, taking up the renovated space that was previously occupied by Cafe Imperial, a famous cafe that served coffee to people in the city since the 1930s.
It retained much of the main architectural features of the previous tenant, including an iconic giant bronze eagle that will welcome you at the entrance. The interior of the store is filled with beautiful stained glass windows and crystal chandeliers.
5. McDonald’s Birch House, Penang, Malaysia
Did you know that Malaysia is also home to a unique McDonald’s store housed in a historical building? The Birch House in George Town, Penang is a colonial mansion that once served as a 19th-century tin smelting firm. Today, the fully-restored Birch House is part of Penang Times Square and is home to this 24-hour McDonald’s branch.
The house was named after Sir Ernest Woodford Birch, the British Resident of the neighboring Sultanate of Perak between 1905 and 1909.