A certain generation will remember a time when most McDonald's locations had a play place. This amenity let parents take their rowdy children for a Happy Meal and give the kids a chance to get their wiggles out while mom and dad enjoyed some quality time.
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But these indoor playgrounds slowly went away during the pandemic. But the fast food chain recently announced it is bringing them back.
McDonald's Is Planning to Spend Over $8 Billion to Upgrade Restaurants
Last week, McDonald's executive vice president Jill McDonald announced plans to spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to upgrade its restaurants. This includes "upgraded play places, improved dining rooms and more open kitchens."
As reported by the New York Post, the indoor playgrounds will feature colorful jungle gyms, slides, and an interactive play area. Some will feature an activity board that lets kids pretend they're working at the store.
It is unclear whether this remodel will take place only in locations with an existing play place or whether they will be added to restaurants that currently do not have one.
The Remodel Comes at a Crucial Time for the Chain
Families have struggled lately to afford a night out, and many customers have complained online about McDonald's rising prices.
Back in July, someone accused the chain of "shrinkflation" on Reddit. That's when companies offer less product for the same price or, in some cases, a higher price.
The user snapped a picture of a small drink from the restaurant next to a small blue plastic cup to show that customers are getting less soda than ever before.
"They weren't kidding when they said, 'small'. WTF is this," they wrote. "This is seriously action figure-sized. A few f—ing sips & it was gone. I compared it to the size of a plastic cup from my pantry. To top it off — it was $1.91 for this sewing thimble. Bring back '$1 ANY SIZE SOFT DRINKS!!!"
A similar post on X said that McDonald's cost almost the same as a meal at Chili's.
"You did not go for the burger," she wrote. "You went because your kids could run screaming through a plastic tube for 40 minutes while you sat with a coffee and experienced silence. That was the product. The food was the cover charge."
