McDonald’s Olympic Park 1500-seat flagship unit would not only be one of its biggest locations in the world, but also its most sustainable space as well. McDonald’s spent three years planning and designing the restaurant to ensure it would create a contemporary and welcoming atmosphere for customers, with minimum impact on the environment.
The environmentally friendly design aligns with the sustainability goals set by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Created by interior designer Philippe Avanzi, the look and feel of McDonald’s flagship unit as well as four other Olympic Park restaurants is based on the company’s latest European design elements being implemented around the world.
As reported in Nation’s Restaurant News, some of the sustainability elements are also expected to be added to the chain’s global reimaging program, including in the US. Designed with the customer in mind, these innovations include the choice of express lanes as well as traditional ordering at the counter and contactless payment, in addition to the use of energy-efficient kitchen equipment and water-saving features. McDonald’s will collect all used cooking oil from the restaurant and recycle it into the special blend of biodiesel that fuels more than half of its UK delivery trucks.
When the restaurants are dismantled after the Olympics, 75% of the building materials will be reused and every item of equipment and furniture will be recycled in McDonald’s restaurants throughout the world. Thousands of items installed in the restaurant are logged to be transferred at the end of the Games.
Opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics will begin from 27 July.
Illinois-based McDonald’s operates or franchises more than 33,500 restaurants in 119 countries, including more than 14,000 in the US.
