The Mickey D’s on Delancey Street has been called “the worst McDonald’s ever” by multiple reviewers on Yelp, where it has a lackluster two stars. But on April 21, there’ll be a ribbon-cutting to celebrate recent renovations to what’s been called “the last stop before hell.”
I’ve frequented this McDonald’s more times than I’d like to admit, mostly after nights out in the Lower East Side. The place used to have sticky, outdated booths and a convoluted ordering system that caused quite a few headaches and massive lines, especially on the weekends after midnight. But now, following the likes of the Astor Place Shake Shack, McDonald’s has installed a whole wall of automated, touch-screen ordering systems– you choose whatever you want from the menu (as if you didn’t know your order by heart anyway) and then pick it up at the front. Or you can just do it the old-fashioned way, up at the counter.
Another snazzy feature of this new McDonald’s is definitely the table service. Customers who wish to dine in can take a number once they’re done ordering, and an employee will bring out the food when it’s ready– pretty fancy stuff for a fast food franchise. The décor is very sleek (think lots of stainless steel and oddly flattering lighting), with two levels of seating available.
When I stopped by on my lunch break, there was a plethora of crew members and managers milling about the restaurant, each one of them asking if I needed any help. While there’s definitely not the same level of customer service at night (nor would I expect there to be), it was nice to feel noticed regardless.
Overall, this renovation took some of the guilt out of going to McDonald’s– the new décor and automated ordering system made me feel like I could be in some trendy modern restaurant, instead of a McDonald’s stuffing my face with McNuggets and fries.
At the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 21, expect face painting, free food and, who knows, maybe even an appearance from Ronald McDonald himself.