[Suburbia Lost] McDonald's - Forest Park, OH
In a recent Suburbia Lost entry we took a look at the "pizza hut phenomenon.' I.E. When purpose built structures of restaurant chains and fast food organizations have such a distinct identity it's hard to imagine them being anything else. Oftentimes, these businesses are actually leasing the buildings and when something new opens up, the building's design gives you a direct clue to its history. There's one organization though that never really falls victim to this and that's McDonald's.
McDonald's will usually go to great lengths when closing or relocating a location. Rarely will they let an old building stand and become something else. Unlike Pizza Hut, they don't seem to want their former restaurants turning into sports bars, churches, or strip clubs. Seen here in Forest Park, OH, the building itself is gone, but there are still some remains. Unless you're from the area and remember grabbing hash browns here with your Dad, you might not know what it once was. Nevertheless, there's still some suburban fossils around which hint at the fast food past:
Wiring for the drive-thru speaker box.
Drive-thru path.
Light pole.
A new location opened up further down the road from where this one once stood.
Suburbia Lost takes a look at the ruins left behind in American suburbs locally and found on travels throughout the country. Check out the documented locations here.
Update | March 4, 2021
The newer location that replaced this one was also abandoned and also demolished.