One thing I am going to try to do more of as I work to reinvigorate my blog is write more about brand-driven things that just plain interest me. Such an opportunity recently presented itself as I drove down First Avenue in Coralville. I was stunned to see that our prominent local McDonald’s had been leveled. Flattened to the ground. My curiousity peaked, I got the full story later that weekend as I read an article in the Corridor Business Journal talking to the owner, Kevin O’Brien. In addition to wanting to update his store (it was 34 years old) O’Brien purchased the adjoining lot to create an expended retail center next to his golden arches.
What about that brand-driven thing that peaked my interest? That came when he unveiled the photos (above and below) showcasing the new McDonald’s interior design. My first thought was ‘this looks like a Starbucks …’
“I don’t know if I am the renegade you think I am here,” began O’Brien when we spoke. Hoping to attract more business meetings and work-shifters (like me!), O’Brien wanted to create a very different set of arches. He wanted something upscale. He wanted something befitting the Iowa City area, home to the University of Iowa and a UNESCO City of Literature.
The kicker? McDonald’s met his ideas with open arms and offered bold ideas from its stores in Europe and South Africa. And one can readily say that this looks like an Iowa City McDonald’s. “It’s the first of its kind in the country.” in addition to bold design and literary wall art (with hidden McD’s products), the new menu will feature expanded “coffee house” selections. O’Brien is also working to reduce his store’s environmental footprint with LEED-certified construction, water-saving devices, and solar-powered parking lights.
As one of those work-shifting business people who logs some hours in coffee shops, having another local option excites me. As a branding guy, it fascinates me too. With years of conditioning in place, we all know what a McDonald’s should look like. But what if that Etch-A-Sketch could be shaken? What if through modern design, eco-friendly innovation, and community mindedness (again, this store fits the ethos of this literary college town) a giant mega-brand could start to negotiate a brand shift?
McDonald’s often takes a lot of flack but I think it’s important to note that they embraced innovation from within. The real opportunity that McDonald’s has with their global footprint is to foster real change. But that can’t happen overnight. With innovators like Kevin O’Brien daring to be different though, perhaps even more owners will step forward and take ideas like this to scale.
Images courtesy of Interior Systems, Inc. (ISI).
