This may earn me a Big Mac thrown in my face, but you have to give McDonald’s credit for cool design.  The tired cookie cutter design with sloped roofs has long been passé along with the bland menu.  Whatever you may think about McDonald’s menu makeover, more of its restaurants are now chic--compared to the institutional Barbie plastic that in the past made McDonald’s more of a burger prison than a place to hang out.

Franchisees may balk at the cost of the makeover, and Mickey D’s must do more to convince dubious customers that is menu is more family and artery friendly, at least the outlets have more personality.  From Hacienda Heights, California (pictured above, click to expand) to Belgrade, Serbia (below), the Golden Arches are not a bad place to spend a few minutes to duck the rain or use the loo--or the Wi-Fi.  The interiors even match the salads (if you want a healthful meal, do not go overboard on the dressing!).

McDonald's, Downtown Belgrade

McDonald's, Downtown Belgrade

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.