And as mentioned previously, the plan is to pull down the McDonald's on the NW corner of 23rd & Penn and replace it with a modern, 2-story design.

Capacity will increase from 3,216 sf to 5,687.

The photograph is an example of the design and materials, although that particular building is 3 levels instead of two:



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/2101nw231.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/2101nw232.jpg

This is going to be really cool!

http://newsok.com/double-decker-mcdonalds-coming-to-oklahoma-city/article/3682758

Hope they put in a freight elevator and build the place to the specs of a parking garage to accomodate the weight of their customers.

Lol.

Why start out with comments like this? McDonalds has restaurants all over the world and only their US customers are fat. The problem is not McDonalds, it the US people and our lifestyle. Of course, having dual drive-thrus doesn't help. My guess is most fatties don't actually get out of the car and go into the place.

I thought it was funny.

I'm also not so sure about the article trying to sell us on this being something only NYC and LA are getting.

I for one an happy to see a higher density land-use coming out of this. It will still probably have a large parking lot and setback 50' from the street but at least we are trending in the right direction. Now if we can encourage them to move it as close to the corner as possible then it would be a big improvement.

I agree Kerry, I think you should vilify them until they do so. I don't think anyone here is going to defend McD's so go for it :cool:

Is this still happening?

Yeah, it seems like they're behind schedule.

Awesoooooome. From the article I read on the Newsok.com it seemed like this was one of the few McDonalds like this in the world. Is that true?

Awesoooooome. From the article I read on the Newsok.com it seemed like this was one of the few McDonalds like this in the world. Is that true?

Maybe as a free-standing McDonalds, but I have been in many multi-level McDonalds in France, Germany and Italy.

Maybe as a free-standing McDonalds, but I have been in many multi-level McDonalds in France, Germany and Italy.

Ditto.

I've also been to one in Beijing, where the first double-decker was.

BTW, the first McDonalds drive through window as here in OKC.

I've also been to one in Beijing, where the first double-decker was.

BTW, the first McDonalds drive through window as here in OKC.I don't know if thats good or bad. lol

I don't know if thats good or bad. lol

my thoughts exactly... it always makes me laugh when i see a line of cars at the drive thru, so i pull in, get my food to go, and i'm back on the road before i would have even made it to the order speaker...

my thoughts exactly... it always makes me laugh when i see a line of cars at the drive thru, so i pull in, get my food to go, and i'm back on the road before i would have even made it to the order speaker...Oh, yeah I do that allllllllll the man. lol

I've taken the JTF approach. I very rarely use drive thrus now. (except if the lobby is closed late at night) or I really am in a hurry.

I don't pay for food out without enjoying the dining ambience I'm paying for. So that crosses most fast food off heh, but I'll confess some McD's and Chick Fila's are alright.

A tip of the hat to you Spartan. Not everyone could work the word ambience into a convo about MickeyD's

Maybe Oklahoma can have the first double-deck double drive-thru. Capacity for 4 cars to order at once.

A tip of the hat to you Spartan. Not everyone could work the word ambience into a convo about MickeyD's

Heh, thank you, thank you verr much.

McDonald's is actually a very well ran company. I would so much rather give them my money than Starbucks.

I would so much rather give them my money than Starbucks.

Really?

Maybe Oklahoma can have the first double-deck double drive-thru. Capacity for 4 cars to order at once.

you say that sarcastically... but it wouldn't surprise me to see it happen. lol

Really?

Truth is I judge associates pretty hard when they're under 30 and always want to meet at Starbucks. I would never personally suggest McD's becausei value my reputation lol, but their beverages are just as good and half the price, and there's actually somewhere to sit down unlike at almost any Starbucks. Starbucks is just a totally worthless business IMO - they're such an affront to the intimate coffee shop experience but they get away with it because people are mindless creatures of habit and branding.

Truth is I judge associates pretty hard when they're under 30 and always want to meet at Starbucks. I would never personally suggest McD's becausei value my reputation lol, but their beverages are just as good and half the price, and there's actually somewhere to sit down unlike at almost any Starbucks. Starbucks is just a totally worthless business IMO - they're such an affront to the intimate coffee shop experience but they get away with it because people are mindless creatures of habit and branding.

I tend to judge people pretty hard when they suggest non-local options, especially when its local gov't employees or planners. Support local first, in my view.

Anyway, back to the new McDonald's...

I tend to judge people pretty hard when they suggest non-local options, especially when its local gov't employees or planners. Support local first, in my view.

Anyway, back to the new McDonald's...Everything was local at one point or another and since they were successful you say not to support them? I mean I always try and help out local as much as I can, but I don't put any places down just because they're not local.

Everything was local at one point or another and since they were successful you say not to support them? I mean I always try and help out local as much as I can, but I don't put any places down just because they're not local.

I'm not putting non-local places down, but I'm not lifting them up either. Local first, others second. It's about economy as well - the local dollar spreads better.

I'm not putting non-local places down, but I'm not lifting them up either. Local first, others second. It's about economy as well - the local dollar spreads better.Oh, I see. I misunderstood your post.

Oh, I see. I misunderstood your post.

And, there are plenty of local places I'd rather not go to first... it does work both ways some times. Mostly these local places are ones that have poor track records, service, etc...

And, there are plenty of local places I'd rather not go to first... it does work both ways some times. Mostly these local places are ones that have poor track records, service, etc...Now the one exception I have is I HATE WALMART! I will drive to Kroger's in Dallas before I shop at Walmart(not really but that how I hate them lol). I usually shop for most of my stuff at Sprouts and then goto Uptown grocery for my grocery shopping.

BTW- I just realized this is a McDonalds thread sooooo yeah.. sorry for getting off topic. :/

Grocery shopping must be nice up in Pluto/Edmond :P


I'm not putting non-local places down, but I'm not lifting them up either. Local first, others second. It's about economy as well - the local dollar spreads better.

30% non-local gets reinvested locally, as opposed to 60% at local businesses. Locals tend to buy local themselves bc they understand how important it is.

I get ya spartan. I was meeting a former coworker last weekend to paly catchup on old times and I suggested MickyD's. Soda's are a buck including refills, they have chairs and not just booths (important for those of us who have majorly enjoyed our chicken fried steaks and bacon wrapped everythings over the years.) And, if you don't time it for the height of breakfast period, the one closest to me is practically deserted inside on Saturday mornings. The drive-thru lane, well that's a whole nuther critter.

Maybe as a free-standing McDonalds, but I have been in many multi-level McDonalds in France, Germany and Italy.

This one in Houston has been there at least 20 years: 1405 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056 - Google Maps (http://goo.gl/maps/mBwq9)

As of last night, this McDonalds is closed. The is a banner out front saying the restaurant is closed starting December 31 and will reopen in the spring.

Yay! McDouble Double Double...Double Double?

As of last night, this McDonalds is closed. The is a banner out front saying the restaurant is closed starting December 31 and will reopen in the spring.

Typical fast McD's construction job

Typical fast McD's construction job

but not as fast as the China company that says that it can build a skyscraper in 3 months... they could finish with this project in about 16 hours.

Everything was local at one point or another and since they were successful you say not to support them?

Often true, but not always... For example, the first Olive Garden was opened in Orlando by General Mills and they expanded to hundreds of locations within a couple of years. A lot of the typical chain concepts are born in marketing conference rooms and test labs, not in mom and pop's kitchen like they often want you to think (see Olive Garden's commercials).

Even if they were started as local businesses, by the time they become successful they have been acquired by huge corporations and their subsidiaries.

Stillwater recently gave Olive Garden a subsidy (!!) to open a location in Stillwater. Even if Olive Garden is tasty, it seems like a terrible policy to offer General Mills a subsidy while there are existing local Italian options and probably many entrepreneurs coming out of OSU's hospitality program that might want to open a restaurant.

Stillwater recently gave Olive Garden a subsidy (!!) to open a location in Stillwater. Even if Olive Garden is tasty, it seems like a terrible policy to offer General Mills a subsidy while there are existing local Italian options and probably many entrepreneurs coming out of OSU's hospitality program that might want to open a restaurant.

While philosophically I tend to agree with you, re subsidizing the corporate versus the local, I think the idea is probably based at least in part on the notion that the corporate chain has a better track record running restaurants, while statistically the local/mom-n-pop restaurants fail fairly reliably from chronic mismanagement. While I realize its contemporary to bash Olive Garden (myself included, don't really like them), they do have an Energizer Bunny quality to them in that they keep going and going and going....so enough people obviously like them to make them viable...

There actually used to be a double-decker McDonald's in the outer Dallas area just south of the I-635 loop, east of I-35. I ate there one time during an OU-Texas weekend jaunt and thought the place was fascinating, but it was gone the next year. It was just down the street from the motel I was staying in, so it was an easy find, but there was quite a bit of retail reconstruction in that area over the last decade or two and I suspect the land was just caught up in the mix.

That 23rd and Penn location has always been a weird one, because IIRC it was originally built as a 100% retro McDonald's, right down to the arches through the building, the red and white exterior tile, the throwback burger cartoon character, and the neon on the sign. They even added some Sonic-style drive-in slots, but they were taken out just a few months after it opened. Pretty shortly thereafter, they closed the whole thing down and ditched the retro styling entirely. It really surprised me, because I would have suspected you need all kinds of special permissions from McD's corporate to engage in a special theming like that, but maybe not...now they're going this two-story route...who knows...

Personally, I thought the "Retro" style McDonalds added a lot of class and character to the intersection. What they SHOULD have done is move the Retro building off to the side, built a first-story box on the foundation, then use blimps, balloons or whatever to set the Retro version back on top of it. (McDonalds coffee is pretty good. So is the Mushroom and Swiss Angus Snack Wrap. Just not at the same time. The Fish Sandwiches are scandalously overpriced . . . but I get one from time to time anyways.)

They started construction Dec. 31st, they are closed and have a "Reopening Spring 2013" banner out front. Work seems to be going full speed.

They started construction Dec. 31st, they are closed and have a "Reopening Spring 2013" banner out front. Work seems to be going full speed.
vvv


As of last night, this McDonalds is closed. The is a banner out front saying the restaurant is closed starting December 31 and will reopen in the spring.

I find it ironic that there is talk of going local first in this thread yet in other threads there is so much talk of wanting to get a big national in here because posters liked their locations in other cities. Dick's sporting goods is one example.

I wonder if this McDonalds will have a shower?

Naked man shooed from McDonald's rest room in Oklahoma City | NewsOK.com (http://newsok.com/article/3742745)

Well that came down really fast. Not sure why I expected the demolition to take days...

Now wait and see how fast the new one goes up!
(but don't let that interfere with your enjoyment of a McRib the next time they roll around =)
Remember: Organic means Not Rocks.

edcrunk: once they have removed any salvageable equipment etc, a building like that can be gone in 24 hrs and off in a landfill someplace. Saw the same thing happen with the Taco Bueno that was rebuilt near NW 63rd & May. Within 24 hrs the only theing left was the about half of the concrete slab and with some of the floor tile attached (parking lot was gone too)

It seems like this Mcdonald's will be great, I hope this construction for the 2 story McD's won't take long. I remember when that retro McD's used to have an awesome car in front of the restaurant and old Mcd's collectables in the restaurant many many years ago. Also, I do like how Gold's Gym express is directly across from it.

I hope it won't take to horribly long. Even more so, I hope they build it to last(not match stick construction)

I hope it won't take to horribly long. Even more so, I hope they build it to last(not match stick construction)

McDonalds doesn't build things to last as long as the pyramids but they do have construction standards which are not match stick.

I can't believe I'm excited about a McDonald's. I also didn't realize how often me and my girl use this location as a late night option.

Looks like they poured the slab for the new McDonald's. Since a lot of the site work is done, I am curoius how long it will take for them to start going up.

Looks like they poured the slab for the new McDonald's. Since a lot of the site work is done, I am curoius how long it will take for them to start going up.

The answer is TODAY. Apparently sometime between 1:03pm and 5:45pm.

3427

thats a nifty double saucer UFO hovering above

Hopefully they'll put a new sign up too.?

Hopefully they'll put a new sign up too.?

+1. If they are keeping a McDonald's at this location, they should at least make it look as nice as possible. I still don't know why this location warrants a two story McDonald's, I guess they get a lot of traffic from Shepherds Mall workers at lunchtime...

thats a nifty double saucer UFO hovering above

Yep, rolling down the window works magic for flashes ;-)

Yep, rolling down the window works magic for flashes ;-)

Yeah, I figured I'd get crap for it and was going to crop it but wanted to leave the sign in the pic. Was a very quickly taken photo as the light had just changed...