Mc????

Ok, so I was killing time before picking my car up from the towing lot (which is a whole other story), so I ventured in to the local McDonalds. Or, at least I thought I did. Inside the doors, my McDonald's had been transformed into a chic bistro or cafe. The color scheme was dim, aside from the colorful food menu. There was no playplace, and there were no children in sight. Rather, the restaurant was being patronized by middle class couples, and chic-dressed 20 somethings. I had to pause, recognizing that I, myself was uncomfortable because I felt underdressed in a McDonalds. When did this happen? When did sweats, a bandana, a camisole and flip-flops become a fashion faux-pas in the fast food world?

The plastic booths that once lined the walls had been re-upholstered in earthy colors. Colorful sconces lighted the walls, and lamps hung from the ceilings over booth tables. The floor looked like ceramic tiles, and the counters for the bistro style bar stool seating was a fake wood grain. I ventured into the bathrooms and was impressed by the immaculately clean state. A few wet spots on the floor were the only pieces of evidence that other patrons had been there. I half expected a woman to be sitting by the counter, spraying patrons with perfume and handing out peppermints. It almost would have felt fitting.

So, what happened to my McDonald's? Was this merely a veneer, or has McDonald's fundementally changed? I don't know what the answer is, but I must admit, I felt strangely comforted when the woman next to me stated loudly, "Ugh, they did it again," and got up to turn in her incorrect order. That's the McDonald's that I know. "Have you had your Mistake today."