Dinner Break!!! McDonald's - Lakewood, CO
McDonald's packaging has the phrase: "Please don't litter" printed on it...
Makes perfect sense! In today's society, you don't go grab a cheap cheeseburger, devour it, then throw the waxed paper wrapped on the ground when you're done with it. Yes, we live in a disposable culture, but we're not savages...
So why then, does the McDonald's corporation feel it's okay to just leave their garbage all over the landscape once they are done with it?
Almost 20 years ago, I took a job at Wadsworth and 20th Avenue, in Lakewood, CO. Every morning, I'd wake up early, and drive in obnoxious traffic for nothing pay and crappy bosses.
That only lasted from July 1999 though September 1999. I was so uncertain of that job as it was going, that I never left the other one I was working at the time...
Fourteen blocks south of where I worked was the 6th Avenue bridge, cutting a large swath of freeway, across the west side of town, from Golden to Denver. Roughly a block north of the bridge, sat a McDonalds.
It's driveway was accessible only from the southbound lane of Wadsworth Ave. I ate here a couple of times while I was working in the area, but it was just too difficult to get in and out of. So I never came here. There were plenty of other options in the area... No big deal.
These days, I'm only in this part of town very rarely. And if I was coming up here to eat at a McDonald's, I'd choose one of the 15 I drove by to get here. Wouldn't miss this place at all...
Two years ago, Laura and I were driving up Wadsworth to meet some friends. As we got to the 6th Avenue bridge, the road was under construction with a lot of dug up holes on the west side of the street. Several buildings had been demolished and McDonald's was now closed...
Here is a better view of the road work, from the north looking south. The 6th Avenue bridge is on the horizon. A small part of McDonald's roof can be seen behind the brown building with yellow trim, on the right side of the picture.
You can see how the driveways and parking lots of both buildings have been affected by the road work.
Improvements to the flow of McIntyre Gulch, along with a bike trail that would tunnel under Wadsworth, would be the result of this construction. Which lasted well into 2017...
I made a mental note to come back after the road work was completed, and get pictures of the McDonald's. If it hadn't been leased by a new fast food entity, or demolished as a part of this project.
With the road work having been completed, now all of the buildings on the west side of Wadsworth, between the 6th Avenue bridge and now closed McDonald's, have been demolished.
And here is where the McNuggets were dispensed, it survived the destruction of it's natural habitat! The building is still standing, and remarkably intact. That signature parking lot and building exterior is very late 1980's and early 1990's, corporate McDonald's style. The red "cobblestone" between parking lot curbing, red brick, wood trim and subdued roof all screams fast food of 25 to 30 years ago...
Zooming in on that 6th Avenue bridge photo, you can see those blurry buildings that are now gone. As well as the steeper hill on Wadsworth, that has been graded down significantly. This photo is from September, 2013.
Pulling around to the drive thru, it's going to be hard to pick out your order since the menu is gone.. Oh, the intercom is gone too, so actually ordering your order will take some time as well...
In the distance behind McDonald's, you can also see the vast empty space left by tearing down a bunch of 30-50 year old buildings along a busy street...
The south facing walls, along with the dual drive thru windows. Someone must have tagged the building pretty large, to warrant the big brown cover up paint treatment. I do like the "Private Property" sign in the middle.
For the store being closed over two years at this point, and in such a high traffic area, it's in excellent condition today.
This was a very small McDonald's, without the gigantic McPlayplaces. All the little ones got here was some colorful stools to sit on. Along with some red blobby tabletops.
Thanks to the sun for making this kind of hard to read, but this sign declared that this location will close on January 15, 2016. Assuming that would have been just before the road construction drastically altered this area of Wadsworth. Including chopping and blocking off their parking lot entrance.
This place may have been closed for well over two years when I took these pictures, but it's nice of McDonald's to still have someone come out to water the flowers. They look impeccable after all this time!
You'd also think that greasy McDump left in the men's room toilet has to have dissipated by now... Even considering it was caused by McDonald's food, you could probably close the door again.
Makes perfect sense! In today's society, you don't go grab a cheap cheeseburger, devour it, then throw the waxed paper wrapped on the ground when you're done with it. Yes, we live in a disposable culture, but we're not savages...
So why then, does the McDonald's corporation feel it's okay to just leave their garbage all over the landscape once they are done with it?
(Not that I'm complaining, they're just giving me stuff to take pictures off as I drive around town!)
Just like everybody on the planet does...
That only lasted from July 1999 though September 1999. I was so uncertain of that job as it was going, that I never left the other one I was working at the time...
Fourteen blocks south of where I worked was the 6th Avenue bridge, cutting a large swath of freeway, across the west side of town, from Golden to Denver. Roughly a block north of the bridge, sat a McDonalds.
It's driveway was accessible only from the southbound lane of Wadsworth Ave. I ate here a couple of times while I was working in the area, but it was just too difficult to get in and out of. So I never came here. There were plenty of other options in the area... No big deal.
These days, I'm only in this part of town very rarely. And if I was coming up here to eat at a McDonald's, I'd choose one of the 15 I drove by to get here. Wouldn't miss this place at all...
Two years ago, Laura and I were driving up Wadsworth to meet some friends. As we got to the 6th Avenue bridge, the road was under construction with a lot of dug up holes on the west side of the street. Several buildings had been demolished and McDonald's was now closed...
Here is a better view of the road work, from the north looking south. The 6th Avenue bridge is on the horizon. A small part of McDonald's roof can be seen behind the brown building with yellow trim, on the right side of the picture.
You can see how the driveways and parking lots of both buildings have been affected by the road work.
Improvements to the flow of McIntyre Gulch, along with a bike trail that would tunnel under Wadsworth, would be the result of this construction. Which lasted well into 2017...
I made a mental note to come back after the road work was completed, and get pictures of the McDonald's. If it hadn't been leased by a new fast food entity, or demolished as a part of this project.
But of course I will promptly forget about this for almost two years...
So last weekend, I made the drive up Wadsworth. To get some McNuggets...
With the road work having been completed, now all of the buildings on the west side of Wadsworth, between the 6th Avenue bridge and now closed McDonald's, have been demolished.
And here is where the McNuggets were dispensed, it survived the destruction of it's natural habitat! The building is still standing, and remarkably intact. That signature parking lot and building exterior is very late 1980's and early 1990's, corporate McDonald's style. The red "cobblestone" between parking lot curbing, red brick, wood trim and subdued roof all screams fast food of 25 to 30 years ago...
Zooming in on that 6th Avenue bridge photo, you can see those blurry buildings that are now gone. As well as the steeper hill on Wadsworth, that has been graded down significantly. This photo is from September, 2013.
Pulling around to the drive thru, it's going to be hard to pick out your order since the menu is gone.. Oh, the intercom is gone too, so actually ordering your order will take some time as well...
In the distance behind McDonald's, you can also see the vast empty space left by tearing down a bunch of 30-50 year old buildings along a busy street...
What's the back door saying?
Sorry Ex-McDonalds, I'll be quick...
The south facing walls, along with the dual drive thru windows. Someone must have tagged the building pretty large, to warrant the big brown cover up paint treatment. I do like the "Private Property" sign in the middle.
I'm certain that will discourage them in the future...
Next to the big brown stain is this interesting "Big M" label scar...
Looking in at the cashier line.
Inside the lobby area, from the south. Again, very clean...
The southeast corner of the McDonald's...
One of which has been stolen!
No loitering you miscreant toddlers, this is a crime scene!
And what exactly was McDonald's going for with their basic geometric shapes design motif?
The main entrance on the north side of the building.
Lobby from the north.
You'd also think that greasy McDump left in the men's room toilet has to have dissipated by now... Even considering it was caused by McDonald's food, you could probably close the door again.
So yeah... It's a closed up McDonalds at 8th and Wadsworth...
Well, they have lousy service!
My car sat there for close to 10 minutes and I never got my McCurbside To-Go...
So I'm giving them this negative review!
Ba-Da-Ba-Ba-Ba... They're leaving it!
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