McDonald’s in the 80s compared to today
Friday, 28 Mar 2025
Exclusive insights, data, and analysis for financial market experts.
Search
Have an existing account?
Sign In
They went from kids/family vibe to “operating theatre please leave quickly” vibe. In Australia we had one with a train carriage for kid’s birthdays, one with a plane, all sorts of fun. I understand the change and the coffee is better for it but still change isn’t always a good thing
The burgers tasted better back then too
Imagine sitting at the table directly in front facing the tree…
Where’d all the talking trees go? They were a hit in the 80s/90s. Loved seeing a talking tree as a kid, very comforting.
Designers and architects need to start doing LSD again honestly
Did they change to stop marketing toward kids or just wanted modern?
Sheesh, that tree is really creepy xD
You forget the ashtrays!
To be fair, when it looked like that, people criticized them for using all that stuff to get children hooked on junk food. It was seen as exploitation of the vulnerable.
Now that they ditched it all and the advertising and spaces aren’t targeting kids so much people say. they miss the warmth and whimsy.
It’s gotten harder to advertise to children these days. That mostly explains the change.
At least they kept the uncomfortable stools!
For anyone who hasn’t seen it: https://youtu.be/Df_K7pIsfvg?si=dx8RA-wRG00M5Tfw
The tale of one of those murals as seen in the 80s photo here.
Fair but anyone in the creative field back in those days was off their nut on LSD. The one at the top looks like some kind of magic mushroom land and that tree god thing… oh its just me…
I felt like a king eating there in the 80s when my family could afford it, I feel like a loser if I have to eat there today…
They really targeted kids back then huh?
No personality in modern McDonald’s, it looks like a soul sucking corporate office
That tree should be investigated for any missing children.
Both are horrifying in totally opposite ways
Can I take a third option lol
I definitely prefer the fever dream aesthetic over brutalist prison intake.
Remember you are to them, what cows are for their burgers. You are there to spend money as efficient as possible. That’s it. You are raised as spending cattle.
Unpopular opinion, I prefer the newer picture/look.
I miss that old tree. Even as I got older I’d sit there on those hard stool seats at my hometown location knowing it might be the last time.
They remodeled and took away the little bit of magic the only clown that didn’t creep me out had left behind.
Corporate sterilization and blahhhhhh!
I prefer mildly-ptsd inducing rather than sterile.
A McDonald’s I went to in the Chicago suburbs totally had no soul. There was a counter there but no menus behind it to encourage kiosk ordering
?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=985560fd72becc54a806142661b2d5c0a6da8b18
They are taking the fun out of it.
Today’s McDonald is like “buy your food and get the fuck out”
Nightmare happy land to high tech prison.
I don’t know how they stay in business. Their one draw was being this fun place for kids and now it’s just a sterile dystopia with shitty, weirdly expensive food.