McDonald’s confirmed this week that the company has made the “difficult decision” to close the famed corporate store in Times Square, a move that was in the works prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
“McDonald’s reviews its restaurant portfolio on a regular basis to make the best decisions for our business moving forward,” the company said in a statement sent to Nation’s Restaurant News. “The closing of the 42nd Times Square restaurant, which was planned before the pandemic, was a difficult decision, and allows us to focus on serving customers a few blocks away at the new flagship McDonald’s on 45th and Broadway and in the neighboring communities.”
The company is referring to the year-old Experience of the Future store that opened in May 2019. The three-story 11,199-square foot store features a “glass curtain wall” that gives customers panoramic views of the neon lights of Times Square. The flagship also has 18 kiosks and features a 9,280 square foot billboard, the 3rd-largest in Times Square.
“This renovation is about making a brand statement on the biggest stage in the world,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said when the restaurant opened last year. At the time, he was president of McDonald’s USA.
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