McDonald’s is modernizing its PlayPlaces.
An X user named Nancy French posted a photo of McDonald’s PlayPlace at her local eatery in Franklin, Tenn., and expressed her disappointment in the setup.
“This is so heart breaking,” Nancy French wrote in a Wednesday, March 5 X post. “I’m at a new McDonalds in Franklin, TN and look at their ‘play place’ for children. Two screens/two chairs. 😭😭😭.”
French then followed up with a video documenting the entire children’s area. The video included footage of the two chairs in the corner of an empty room with tablets and an interactive game that seemingly has kids jump to participate.
“This is the totality of the play area,” she said in the video. “Playground safety rules, so you won’t get carried away with all of this excitement. Socks must be worn at all times,” she said before panning to the chairs and adding, “When you’re doing that.”
“I went back in to make sure I didn’t miss something,” she captioned the video post. “There was this column thing that might be for getting kids to exercise. But I don’t think this is temporary. I think this is it.”
“McDonald’s and our franchisees are proud to provide family-friendly spaces across many of our US restaurants,” a McDonald’s representative said in a statement, per The New York Post. “While this restaurant has a few interactive features for younger guests, it does not represent the full PlayPlace design and experience.”
“Community gathering places are important and we just can’t afford to lose them,” French told TODAY.com. “It would be nice if companies sort of thought of themselves as community institutions and try to preserve more than just, you know, their bank accounts.”
While the chain was founded in 1940, the first PlayPlace began over 30 years later, with a prototype at a Birmingham, Ala., McDonald’s in 1971, per ChowHound. The next year a new version debuted at the Illinois State Fair, per Northern Illinois University Libraries.
French’s post follows McDonald’s decision to close indoor cafes and play areas following the COVID-19 pandemic. The fast food chain has slowly reopened indoor areas and returned to its original plans to renovate the restaurants as part of its “Experience of the Future” remodel program, per Nation’s Restaurant News. The remodeling program was proposed in April 2019 and then delayed due to the pandemic.
Additionally, the restaurant implemented the modernized interior design to keep up with growing customer demands, Mashed reported in March 2023. As a result, ordering screens and additional drive-thru lanes were added, while seating and the PlayPlaces were phased out.
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A representative for McDonald’s did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Tuesday, March 11.
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