Portland, Maine, Revamped McDonald’s Nears Completion and Opening Date

It's been just over three months since the McDonald's on Forest Avenue at Morrils Corner closed to the surprise of many. In those three months, the restaurant was remodeled and modernized, a move by McDonald's in the United States to make them more welcoming.

Gone are McDonald's mansard roofs with yellow lights that looked like french fries when they lit up at night.

The new look no longer has the feel of the '70s and '80s. As much as I have fond memories of that era, this is a good move to bring McDonald's restaurants into the 21st century.

Construction on the Forest Avenue McDonald's began in August and looks almost complete. The building may look different now, but the golden arches remain.

A marquee on the McDonald's sign had a re-opening date of December 1, but as of this writing, it has been bumped up to December 6. It seems that they still have a bit more work to do inside to finish it up.

When the restaurant was closed for the remodel, people were curious if the McDonald's Playplace would remain. It was easily seen through the front windows as you drove by on Forest Avenue, but we may not know if it survives the remodel until opening day.

PlayPlaces are not as common as they used to be at McDonald's. According to Wikipedia, PlayPlaces have appeared less in new and renovated restaurants due to health and safety concerns, decreased usage, families eating out less, and a shift in marketing from kids and families to young adults.

We'll find out soon enough when they open on December 6, if all goes according to plan.