Like it or not, McDonald's is one of the most popular restaurants in the UK and Manchester is no exception.
According to the McDonald's online store locator, there are 24 restaurants just in Manchester alone. The city has also played its part in the history of the global fast-food chain, with the 100th UK restaurant opening in Market Street in 1984, and the first ever UK drive-thru restaurant opening in Fallowfield in 1986.
With the first ever UK McDonald's restaurant opening in the UK in 1974 in Woolwich, London, it's fair to say the company has seen many changes to its branding, decor, and menu items over the years. Who can remember The Hamburglar, the McDonald's Playground or even a time when they sold pizza?
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For years, people from all over the UK and the US on Reddit's Nostalgia forum have shared an abundance of old McDonald's images from the '80s and '90s, meaning there's now a good collection of them to browse through. So to celebrate Manchester's love of McDonald's, we've come up with a nostalgic list of things you no longer see at McDonald's from back-in-the-day. How many of these do you remember?
McDonald's Pizza
McDonald's did sell pizzas for a limited period in some restaurants in the mid 1990s as part of a sales and product test. As part of the test the restaurant trialled three flavours - Cheese, Cheese & Pepperoni and the Deluxe (cheese, green pepper, onion, peperoni and more).
Each pizza was eight inches across and cut into four slices. But if you're salivating at the thought of getting your hands on a McDonald's pizza you're in for a disappointment. On their website McDonald's have said they have no plans to reintroduce pizza to their menu at this time.
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Polystyrene burger boxes
Now seeing this packaging is a blast from the past. These clamshell beauties were good for sauce lovers but were also an environmentalist's worst nightmare. However, breaking them up after the meal was also immensely satisfying.
Commenting on Reddit, Jofeshenry said: "I still remember the squeak it made when you closed it and the snap sound it made when you crushed it."
In 1990, McDonald’s agreed to stop using foam for their burger packaging. However, they continued to use it in other items, like cups, for years to come. It wasn’t until 2018 that they made the promise to eliminate it from their global markets.
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McDonald's Playgrounds
Some lucky places were not only provided with a McDonald's restaurant but also came with a playground outside. Some people even claim to remember there being a McDonald's ball-pit.
The reason you don't see them these days is apparently because McDonald's franchises favour more seating and lower land costs. However, McDonald's has built playgrounds in the grounds of various Ronald McDonald Houses in the UK, made from recycled materials, for families to enjoy while taking care of their seriously ill children.
Ronald McDonald and Friends
Ronald McDonald is the chain's clown mascot who inhabits the fictional world of McDonaldland. Once a staple on British TV adverts in the '80s and '90s, these days your rarely see the clown with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird and The Fry Kids.
Today you're more likely to seen an appearance by Ronald McDonald at a special event or entertaining children at Ronald McDonald House. However, in 2011, a group of 500 doctors and other health professionals took out newspaper ads saying a fast-food clown mascot that targets children was unethical and should be retired.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Ronald McDonald benches
Some branches in the UK were said to have benches outside where you could sit next to the not at all creepy statue of Ronald McDonald with his arm around you. Personally, in this Instagram age, I think it's something that needs to be brought back.
When McDonald's restaurants were red, yellow and white
There was a time in the 1980s and 1990s when the dominant colours adorning the outside of the restaurant were red, yellow, and white. These days, however, in Europe it's more usual to see the more muted green and yellow branding outside the restaurants, supposedly to reflect the company's commitment to the environment.
One thing that hasn't changed though are the golden arches which are the instantly recognisable symbol of the brand.
Having a birthday party in the children's area
Not really something you see these days, but back in the 1980s and 1990s, the decor in parts of McDonald's restaurants seemed to be geared more towards children. But if you were the kid who was inviting your friends to your birthday at a McDonald's then you'd be sure to be talk of the school.
Classic McDonald's menu
Although many of the items on this classic McDonald's menu are still staple elements of the menu today, there's no getting away from those prices. I mean, 89p for a big Mac, and another 12p off if you eat it outside.
It's also worth noting that McDonald's breakfast items were not introduced to the UK until 1982 and you could order your eggs scrambled.
1990s Happy Meals
Although Happy Meals had been introduced to the US restaurants in 1979, it took them until 1986 to appear in the UK. Aimed at children, now many of the Happy Meal packaging and toys from the '80s and '90s have become much sought-after collectors items.
Many McDonald's Happy Meals are in collaboration with big name movies or toys offering themed merchandise such as Star Wars, Lego, and Toy Story.
Classic McDonald's uniforms
Unlike the modern polo shirt and baseball caps sported by today's McDonald's employees, uniforms back in the 1980s featured striped shirts and small sharply cornered hats, reminiscent of what you see in a classic American diner.
McDonald's ashtrays
Until the indoor smoking ban for pubs, shops and restaurants came into force in the UK in 2006, you would likely see one of these ashtrays at every table in your local McDonald's. Some were made of aluminium while others were made of glass.
