McDonalds is perhaps the world’s most popular and successful food enterprise. Some people love the place — others hate it. I’m sort of neutral about it. I find them a convenient stop for a fast meal when on the road and time is scarce, but don’t eat there very often. The quality of what you get varies greatly, from poor to excellent, depending on the individual franchise.
(bronze eagle above the entrance to the “Imperial McDonalds”)
Most McDonalds are pleasant family-focused places, but not fancy. When I heard that the “World’s Most Beautiful McDonalds” was located just off Liberdade Square in Porto, I thought it worth stopping by when we were there.
The Imperial McDonald’s opened in 1995 in a space previously occupied by a popular cafe known as the Imperial Café. The Imperial opened in the 1930s and was built in the art deco style. The McDonalds renovation kept most of the Imperial’s interesting features, which included:
– The large bronze Imperial eagle above the front door
– Crystal chandeliers
– A massive stained-glass window behind the counter.
– Ornate friezes along the ceiling.
An unusual fast-food restaurant, to say the least.
