With half-moon-shaped booths, low stools, wooden blinds and flat-screen TVs, most patrons might expect to pay $8 for a burger, or $4 for a smoothie. But the decor isn’t a harbinger of price. This is the new look of a remodeled McDonald’s, purveyor of Happy Meals and value deals as well as upscale coffee drinks.
The Oak Brook-based burger chain is reaching critical mass on a nearly decade-long, multibillion-dollar global renovation and rebuilding project it is betting will boost sales, traffic and brand perception. Restaurants undergoing simultaneous interior and exterior remodels are expected to see a 6 percent to 7 percent increase in same-store sales upon reopening, no matter where they are located.
