Roswell, New Mexico, USA
33.401320494069715, -104.5232178625904
The UFO McDonald’s honors its hometown's heritage as the site of the 1947 Roswell Incident—whether it was a downed weather balloon as the government claims or a fallen extraterrestrial spacecraft, the city leaned into the lore and has been alien themed ever since. Shaped like a metallic space ship surrounded by alien statues, this location features a space-themed play place with McDonaldland characters dressed as astronauts, otherworldly light projections, and even a merch store.
Lindvallen, Sweden
61.15498890798234, 13.20302496963059
Open only during the winter months, the Lindvallen store is located at the base of the slopes at one of Sweden’s most popular ski resorts. Built to resemble a giant lodge, the defining characteristic of this McDonald’s is the ski-thru window, the only one of its kind in the world.
São Paulo, Brazil
-23.560050736536905, -46.65806665058723
The world’s largest exporter of beef also consumes a ton of it, making Brazil fertile ground as one of the nine countries that have more than a thousand McDonald’s locations. To commemorate the milestone in 2019, the chain opened the palatial Méqui 1000, taking on the nickname that locals have so fondly bestowed upon the brand.
Taupo, New Zealand
-38.68966010273452, 176.0716590129729
Commentators have called this the “World’s Coolest McDonald’s” and they wouldn’t be wrong for saying so: a DC-3 airplane, inherited from a car dealership that used to occupy this plot of land, was turned into a seating area for customers.
Queenstown, Singapore
1.3058628930134282, 103.80154474031163
Originally designed to provide recreational space and a shopping pavilion for flat dwellers in the nascent Queenstown, the development burned down in 1978 and was replaced with the single-store Ridout Tea Garden. McDonald’s restaurants, used as a third space around the world for meetings, dates, and as a de facto after school center, now fulfills the purpose originally envisioned by the developers.
Cape Town, South Africa
-33.910123557221986, 18.481059090009904
The McDonald’s restaurant in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Cape Town might have the best view of the over 40,000 outlets in the world, with a second floor terrace that looks out to Table Mountain and Lion’s Head.