While many McDonald’s locations may look the same, some stand out. According to the company, however, the ‘World’s Coolest McDonald’s’ can be found in Taupō in New Zealand. Its special feature? It is located inside an old WWII airplane.
The McDonald’s location in Taupō on New Zealand’s North Island doesn’t look that different from any other branch around the world. Yet when paying attention, one will quickly notice the Douglas DC-3 aircraft parked next to the building.
The Douglas DC-3 was constructed in 1943 in Long Beach, California, and was designed as a military transport aircraft. For the next couple of years, during WWII, the plane operated throughout the Southwest Pacific. Once the war was over, the plane was used for many purposes, including as a carrier plane and a superphosphate topdresser. It finally retired in 1984 and purchased by McDonald’s in 1990.
Now, the plane is sitting in the garden of the Taupō location and even made the headlines in 2013 when the food website Daily Meal crowned it as the ‘World’s Coolest McDonald’s’. Somehow, however, many of us still didn’t know about the plane until it was rediscovered on TikTok.
“What would you do if you put into your maps ‘McDonald’s’ and this is what it took you to?! That is what happened to me. Here in Taupo, New Zealand is home to the world’s coolest McDonald’s. I couldn’t believe my eyes. You can sit and enjoy your Maccies inside the plane. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. And there’s even a real cockpit you can have a look at too”, travel influencer Katie Scallon, one of the happy TikTokers to have visited the plane, tells her followers.
@simplyyykatie The Worlds Coolest McDonald’s?!🤯🛩️ Here in 📍Taupo, New Zealand is a Maccies in a plane!😲 #worldscoolestmcdonalds #taupo #mcdonalds ♬ As It Was Mix Fast – Novia Nisa
When visiting the Taupō location, McDonald’s fans can order their meal inside the regular building before going up the aircraft’s stairs to enjoy their food from the rather unique location. While many say the experience isn’t nearly as comfortable as they’d want – without airconditioning and with an uneven floor – it certainly is something you wouldn’t quickly forget.
