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McDonald’s permanently closing former Times Square flagshipMcDonald’s permanently closing former Times Square flagship

The decision to shutter was in the works prior to the coronavirus pandemic, chain says

Nancy Luna, Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

June 25, 2020

1 Min Read
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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.

Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected] 

Follow her on Twitter: @fastfoodmaven

About the Author

Nancy Luna

Senior editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Nancy Luna is a senior editor at Nation's Restaurant News and a contributing editor at Supermarket News. She covers the industry's largest and most talked about fast-food brands including McDonald's, Starbucks, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Subway. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. As a veteran business reporter based in Southern California, Nancy has covered some of the country's most beloved food and retail brands including In-N-Out, Taco Bell, Trader Joe's, Aldi, Whole Foods Market, Target and Costco. Luna is a graduate of Cal State Fullerton. When she's not digging for news on her beat, you can find Nancy regaling her fans about her latest dining adventures on her Fast Food Maven social media channels. Contact [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fastfoodmaven

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