We all know the now iconic golden arches. We can spot them miles away as we drive down the road. And nine times out of 10, they’re there to save you when you need a quick, cheap meal or a hangover cure to sober you up quickly.
While everyone in America is trying to figure out what time McDonald’s closes for breakfast or what’s the secret in the Big Mac sauce that makes it taste so good – we’ve rounded up five surprising facts about Mickey D’s that you didn’t know!
1. Justin Timberlake sang the “I’m Lovin’ It” Jingle
Everyone on the planet knows the McDonald’s jingle and has shamelessly hummed it before, but did you know that McDonald’s got a boy-band turned pop sensation to sing it? Yes that’s right, McDonald’s got Justin Timberlake to sing the jingle during a 2003 TV spot commercial. And JT made some pretty nice bank on singing just three words. Reportedly, Justin was paid $6 million dollars to sing the jingle.
2. There’s a UFO-inspired McDonald’s
This iconic spaceship shaped McDonald’s in Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, England, was photographed back in 1993. This McDonald’s location was built in 1990, originally intended to become a UFO-shaped restaurant called Megatron.
Their plans changed in 1993 when it became a McDonald’s instead and was the only UFO shaped McDonald’s location in the world. Its life was only brief because it closed down in 2003 due to high maintenance costs. The building stayed up and in tack, just abandoned for a few years until it was finally demolished in 2008. But, in recent years, former McDonald’s employees who worked in the flying saucer spot spilled all the hot gossip on what it was really like working in such an odd shaped location.
3. Thank you for your service… and for creating the drive-thrus
The first McDonald’s drive-thru was built in 1975 in Sierra Vista, Arizona. And everyone has the military to thank for it. The Sierra Vista McDonald’s location was close to a military base. Obviously some of them would swing over to the golden arches to grab some burgers for lunch, but they weren’t allowed to leave their cars wearing their uniforms. So, the restaurant built a drive-thru lane so that they could still serve the soldiers, and the soldiers didn’t violate any military rules. To this day, drive-thrus have become a staple in the fast-food industry that we can’t even imagine a day before we had them.
4. McDonald’s Coca-Cola reigns superior over other restaurants
Have you ever had a friend say that “McDonald’s Coke just hits different?” Now, you may think they’re nuts, but they’re actually on to something!
So normally when a restaurant or fast-food place gets their shipment of Coke syrup delivered, it is packaged in a plastic bag – similar to how the Canadians package their milk. But, when McDonald’s gets their shipment of Coke syrup delivered it is packaged in stainless steel tanks. These tanks preserve the freshness and taste of the syrup compared to the plastic bags. So the next time you want a flavorful, crisp Coke – you know where the best spot to get one is.
5. Some of the biggest celebs are former McDonald’s employees
You’ve seen their movies, listened to their music, followed their every move. Either you love or hate them, but these celebrities got their starts at none other than at McDonald’s. Some real A-listers – from actors like Rachel McAdams, Mark Hamill, Sharon Stone, to artists like Pharrell Williams, P!nk, Shania Twain, and even Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos – worked there as a cook. Looks to me like Mickey D’s breed superstars. See the complete list of over 40 celebrities who worked for Ronald McDonald before their big break.
