r/mildyinteresting • u/everythingsmedium • Jun 25 '26
architecture spaces 🕌 Mystery building at new McDonald’s?
So we just got a new McDonald’s near me and there’s this small building (maybe structure is a better term?) in the parking lot? It’s not part of the dumpsters, and when I asked the girl at the drive thru she just gave me a puzzled look…everyone I’ve asked has no idea what it is either. I’ve never seen this before, and the new McDonalds location on the other side of town doesn’t have one.
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u/cdtobie Jun 25 '26
Looks like a utility structure. I’d expect to see some sort of HVAC or treatment equipment inside.
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u/picturepath Jun 25 '26
Either mechanical equipment or extra storage. I’m leaning more towards storage since SES equipment is typically covered by a regular CMU wall or painted similar color to the building. HVAC stuff is typically in the ceiling and the compresor typically is covered with block or landscaping. Pretty cool design for whatever minor thing they made space for though.
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u/LPNMP Jun 25 '26
It's an elevator to the vast interconnected tunnel system underneath all mcdonalds. They usually keep it in the employee toilets but this place must not have any.
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u/CATNIP_IS_CRACK Jun 25 '26
I thought it was Costco that had the tunnel system. McDonald’s has one too?
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u/DaGriffon12 Jun 26 '26
What happened to the tunnels that went to the McDonalds inside the malls and the Walmarts and such? The stores that closed down years ago. Are they just closed off and labeled "Abandoned shaft" or something??
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u/LPNMP Jun 26 '26
Comment removed by Reddit.
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u/DaGriffon12 Jun 26 '26
Wow. Thanks reddit. Just notified me AFTER they removed your comment. How rude. Even if your comment was egregious, I wouldn't have been offended. I'm more offended reddit took so long to tell me you replied.
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u/SmoothActuator8132 Jun 28 '26
not sure if you're playing along, but the joke is their reply was too close to the "truth" and was deleted by mods in on the conspiracy
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u/goatholomew Jun 25 '26
Lockdown for the Hamburglar.
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u/brondynasty Jun 25 '26
Meanwhile, the real pervert remains unidentified, unrestrained, and at large.
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u/sparrow_42 Jun 25 '26
Finally. I’m old AF and that dude has been on the loose literally my entire life.
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u/smokeythebear1421 Jun 25 '26
Did they convert an old bank? Maybe this was a 24 hour atm and they just redid it with McDonalds branding instead of removing it?
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u/DearPaleontologist67 Jun 25 '26
I was going to say the same thing. Maybe it'll be a new drive-thru express lane or something.
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u/Mementose Jun 25 '26
I'm imagining a patties flying out of that atm like hockey pucks. Try the new rapid drive thru.
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u/OldTeam3012 Jun 27 '26
So in Minnesota, Edina (when I would be there) there used to be a McDonald’s in a mall like structure, it could not accommodate a standard drive thru so a pneumatic system was put in (like the banks but larger and underground) that went from the main structure to a little hut like that.
There was a a register, cups with fountain drinks. Later a blender and stuff to make smoothies was added and I believe a shake machine. They would make the drinks in the hut, food would sling over bagged and in a carrier via pneumatic system to be served.
They closed it and redid the parking lot to be something else as they couldn’t keep up with the new menus of drinks in the small shed. There was a few other issues as well like coat to up keep
The system.
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u/IdontgoonToast Jun 25 '26
McDataCenter
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Jun 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/No-Definition1474 Jun 25 '26
Take a clipboard with you....no one will say anything.
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u/Run_4_Fun-021 Jun 25 '26
This, a hi-vis safety vest, and some orange cones can always save you from having to answer any questions.
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u/No-Definition1474 Jun 25 '26
In my work i have a service truck with yellow lights. I like to call them the blinking lights of privilege. Because I swear I can go almost anywhere and do almost anything with them on.
A white pickup with yellow blinkies and a guy in hi-vis is a free pass almost anywhere lol
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u/Grouchy-Barnacle-800 Jun 25 '26
Hardhat and safety glasses too!
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u/everythingsmedium Jun 25 '26
Omg wait I’m literally a building inspector and never take full advantage of that 🤣 it looks empty from what I’ve seen from the road
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u/beardostein Jun 25 '26
The McShed
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u/Condition_Dense Jun 25 '26
Ours sometimes store the CO2 tanks for the soda outside the building or in a dedicated storage area outside of the building at some of the locations I went to a Taco Bell last night that had hazardous materials signage on what appeared to be an emergency door. I live in Wisconsin. I don’t know how they do that in warmer climates but I’m assuming it’s a CO2 storage area.
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u/HelloDeathspresso Jun 25 '26
That's the McJail where you get detained before arrest for your petty McCrimes.
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u/MJaffeUMD Jun 26 '26
There’s a Chick Fil A by me that has an auxiliary drive through station to serve two lanes of cars at once. It’s got a drink/shake/ice cream stand so the kitchen can focus on churning out chicken, while car crews fix drinks
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u/PreferenceFun3264 Jun 25 '26
Google says
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u/dontfactcheckthis Jun 25 '26
I didn't even think of that. It being not attached seems silly, but I guess that's to give them enough room to get away. Then the people can you hand you ketchup, straws, or napkins straight from there instead of having to go back inside the main building.
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u/PreferenceFun3264 Jun 25 '26
Maybe some one is designated to be in there when it's super busy or something
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u/Suspicious-Bus-5727 Jun 25 '26
Sometimes during construction, contractors will build a mini version of the new building as real life mock example for customers, architects, and engineers so everyone can get an idea of what the finished product will look like. I'm not a hundred percent certain that is what this is but it's my best guess.
Source: I work in construction and the same thing was just done at the NKU campus for their science wing expansion.
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u/Successful-Depth-126 Jun 25 '26
I worked at McDonald's and we had one of these We just called it the shed and It stored excess cups, lids, weird things we never used, old promotional posters, etc. As also is where the managers had their own lockers.
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u/Same_Lychee5934 Jun 25 '26
It’s a small data center. So they can data mine you in line! Thats where their AI will live!
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u/Icedalwheel Jun 25 '26
I feel like this has been super asked and answered, but in the late 90s and early 2000 our local McDonalds had a small shack like this as a part of the drive-thru. An actual person stood inside it and took your order! The building itself didn't support a 2-window ordering system so I believe this was a workaround.
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u/Dogsarelitty Jun 25 '26
Please be a vending machine please be a vending machine please be a vending machine
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u/majorgearhead Jun 27 '26
Nexton McD’s in Summerville, SC perchance?
If so their hash brown cooking skills are on point. But yeah, weird structure.
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u/SirTainLee Jun 25 '26
That's their external tool cupboard (TC) placed to prevent nearby competition.
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u/2xPutt Jun 27 '26
I know this thread is 2 days old but this was my first thought too lmao
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u/Leggs_420 Jun 25 '26
VIP DRIVE THROUGH You pay yearly fee to get Xpress service at the drive-through that’s all
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u/r3ttah Jun 25 '26
I’ve been at a McDonald’s that had a separate building for paying for drive thru, similar to this. Then you pull up to the main building and grab your food.
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u/Lo-lo-8 Jun 25 '26
Looks like they may try to mimic Chick Fil A. Shelter for workers while working drive thru
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u/thufferingthucotash Jun 25 '26
There appears to be a tall building next door. Is it a vent for underground parking? Some kind of air-handling structure?
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u/FleshHoodieFree Jun 25 '26
new kids play area. Anyways, completely unrelated but I heard there was a burger shortage going on
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u/MonaLisa_MadHatter Jun 25 '26
Chick-fil-a has a similar set up near me- they take orders there and pick up food at the window- because they have high traffic pretty consistently. Maybe that’s the case here?
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u/moofius114 Jun 25 '26
It houses the McMachine which is used to make McGoop into burgers, fries, shakes and the occasional employee.
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u/Ok_Abacus_ Jun 25 '26
Thats where the assistant manager takes girls for promotions.
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u/caitejane310 Jun 25 '26
Bathroom, maybe? Lol now I need to know for sure, even though it's probably nothing crazy 🤣🤣
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u/noise_canker44 Jun 25 '26
McDonald’s will spend millions on everything except improve the quality of their food or proper employee training…
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u/Organic_Office_6747 Jun 25 '26
I have seen a McDonalds with a separate drive thru window not connected, that might be this
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u/captain_222 Jun 26 '26
This is for the operator. McDonald's will soon be fully automatatized. An operator engineer is station here to service the robotic equipment
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u/DIYTinkerMaster Jun 27 '26
This must be the new window you go to when all the alternative pickup windows are used and nobody is in the drive thru line, but they can tell corporate we got people through the line in 15 seconds
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u/Beautiful-Work9992 Jun 28 '26
I agree with most of the other commenters it is probably extra security to prevent air-conditioning or electrical boxes from getting stolen from for their copper
Areas that install rooftop AC units in high crime areas tend to up charge for the service since they know that people will pay it because they’ve already had their shit stolen before
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u/TryingToHlp Jun 29 '26
Im guessing a managment zone where its got soundproof walls for them to gently walk into and scream at the walls. Stress relief.
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u/RunItupBaby Jun 29 '26
This is where all the day traders go to work. They are taking after Wendy’s but in style. That’s way better than behind the dumpster
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u/ThrowAwaybcUsuck Jun 30 '26
Sample façade made before construction. This is way over the top for a mechanical room...
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u/Mallomartian Jun 30 '26
It’s a mockup used to show how the finished building components and finishes should look.
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u/MentulaMagnus Jun 30 '26
This is the mini data center for the AI surge pricing, Ronald McDonald crypto miners, and forever broken ice cream machines. Kiosks will remain 20% operational with working units always fresh out of receipt paper.
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u/ZixxerAsura Jun 30 '26
They have this same setup at a McDonald’s in Hawaii. Basically that yellow thing on the top is a conveyor system for the food and that is the pick up location.
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u/Acceptable_Board1844 Jun 30 '26
Didn’t McDonalds try McCafé only locations with coffee and drinks?
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u/Fragrant_Major_9553 Jun 30 '26
It’s the McPod. You’ll pay to live in it while you own nothing and are happy
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u/iSirMeepsAlot Jul 01 '26
Could be storage space for equipment for a franchisee’s stuff, how big is it overall?
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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 Jul 01 '26
I can't really tell you what it is.......
Just let me say....
Grimace has been very bad...
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