McDonald’s closes Times Square flagship

It’s the end of an era.

McDonald’s closed its Times Square flagship restaurant and is shifting focus to its more upscale — and contactless — new location at the Bow Tie Building at 1530 Broadway, the New York Post reported. The final Happy Meal on West 42nd Street was served Tuesday.

The 17,500-square-foot restaurant operated for 17 years and is decorated like a Broadway theater with thousands of light bulbs adorning its marquee. It was the launch location for new menu items and national programs, such as free Wi-Fi in McDonald’s restaurants.

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The company said the closure of the location was in the works before coronavirus, which has hit restaurants and national retailers like a ton of bricks and mortar.

McDonald’s new flagship is an all-glass outfit that has only five cashiers thanks to 18 self-ordering kiosks. The restaurant will have a dine-in experience with table service for guests who will sit on upholstered benches. [NYP] — Erin Hudson