Mc Donald's has lost the plot

slowmart

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ant-rebuff

So the square is in the centre of Florence and one of the most visited places in Europe so I can see why McDonald's thinks it can add cultural currency whilst improving the architectural aspects with a neon sign.

orraloon

Just jumping the gun slightly before the EU - US TTIP agreement gets signed then?

Welcome to our future of bi-lateral trade agreements in this brave new world.

veronese68

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway. The shop front is marble and there is no red and yellow signage. There's even a salad bar I'm told. I'd prefer it if they weren't there, but this could be a lot worse. Hopefully Florence will manage something similar and keep them out of the square and fairly unobtrusive.
I've never had a McD's in Italy and intend to keep it that way.

fat daddy

The tourist hotspots in Florence are jam packed with fat, knee length sock, camera welding Americans, hordes of aisian paparazzi, thousands of tattooed pastey white muffin topped British chain smoking there way around the city ..... why the bell wouldn't you want a McDonald's there ? It's not going to ruin the view amoungst the infestation of tourists AND it gives them somewhere to eat; keeping them away from the side street cafes and reducing the amount of restaurants that feel the need to have a picture of a full English breakfast on a board outside as if the British tourist doesn't know what s full English looks like.

Good luck to them, if you have a beautiful nature spot you put a bin in it to minimise the dsmsge that visitors do ... so why not put a McDonald's in Florence

FishFish

I think it is because they don't want one. And they have pictures of their produce too. Visual stimulus is an important selling aid. Car manufacturers occasionally put pictures of their cars in promotional materials even though most people know what a car looks like. I've been to Florence and don't fit in to any of the descriptions that you ascribe to visitors.

crescent

fat daddy wrote:

if you have a beautiful nature spot you put a bin in it to minimise the dsmsge that visitors do ... so why not put a McDonald's in Florence

Excellent analogy

fat daddy

FishFish wrote:

I've been to Florence .

of course you have ... you and another 15,999,999 visitors each year .... considering the population is only 350,000 you and the others have already massively altered the cultural identity of the city, .... the cultural significance has been destroyed. ..... do you really think a macdonalds is going to make any difference .... when you look around the city, you cant see 80% of the architecture, all you can see is people, swathes of tourists all walking in the same direction, all looking at the same attractions, all standing in the same lines.

a macdonalds will in no way distract when you enter the Galleria dell'Accademia to stand in a huddled group looking at a sculpture you are told is nice. A macdonalds will not detract from the beauty of the ceiling work in the Santa Maria del Fiore as you shuffle around in single file. A macdonalds wont even be seen as you stand umoungst the packed square of the Piazza della Signoria ... unless they place it 30 ft above the tourists in the skyline.

Really, one macdonalds in the centre of Florence is the very least of its problems, it wont stand out, it cannot physically or culturally alter the significance of the city ... the plague of tourism has already done that, a MAcdonalds is merely a Tribal tattoo on the arm of mass tourism ... An excuse, if you like for millions of tourists to exclaim how it was global corporation that ruined the city ... a true sense of irony

rolf_f

I recall at one point they wanted to pitch up opposite the Trevi Fountain. Think that one was rightly stamped on as well.

Pross

Monmouthshire fought a brave action to prevent any McDonalds being opened if the county. They've finally lost the battle though and the first in the county (other than one in a motorway service area) opened a couple of weeks ago. Ironically, given its location on an out of town brownfield site next to a waste transfer site, people have been complaining about the litter ever since.

rick_chasey

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway. The shop front is marble and there is no red and yellow signage. There's even a salad bar I'm told. I'd prefer it if they weren't there, but this could be a lot worse. Hopefully Florence will manage something similar and keep them out of the square and fairly unobtrusive.
I've never had a McD's in Italy and intend to keep it that way.

I'm currently staying about 500m from that spot.

rick_chasey

Rolf F wrote:

I recall at one point they wanted to pitch up opposite the Trevi Fountain. Think that one was rightly stamped on as well.

Wouldn't make much difference - fountain aside the shops around it are hardly the cutting edge of Italy.

Your standard tourist trap sh!t.

pblakeney

Rick Chasey wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway. The shop front is marble and there is no red and yellow signage. There's even a salad bar I'm told. I'd prefer it if they weren't there, but this could be a lot worse. Hopefully Florence will manage something similar and keep them out of the square and fairly unobtrusive.
I've never had a McD's in Italy and intend to keep it that way.

I'm currently staying about 500m from that spot.

Rick Chasey has lost the plot.
Shouldn't you be "busy"?

capt_slog

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway..

Well, that was a trip down memory lane.

I've just 'walked' through those arches to the square using Google and found the place where i must have eaten my dinner around 35 years ago, one of those places on the left looking at the Colosseum.

Thanks

FishFish

Capt Slog wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway..

Well, that was a trip down memory lane.

I've just 'walked' through those arches to the square using Google and found the place where i must have eaten my dinner around 35 years ago, one of those places on the left looking at the Colosseum.

Thanks

Yeah - I was the waiter and you went without leaving a tip - so I hope it gave you the shts.

veronese68

Rick Chasey wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway. The shop front is marble and there is no red and yellow signage. There's even a salad bar I'm told. I'd prefer it if they weren't there, but this could be a lot worse. Hopefully Florence will manage something similar and keep them out of the square and fairly unobtrusive.
I've never had a McD's in Italy and intend to keep it that way.

I'm currently staying about 500m from that spot.

Very nice, I do like it there. I was born about 1km away, don't get back often enough.

veronese68

Capt Slog wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

McDonalds weren't allowed in the centre of Verona for years, they eventually got in with lots of restrictions. Look at this picture, the main square is through the archway..

Well, that was a trip down memory lane.

I've just 'walked' through those arches to the square using Google and found the place where i must have eaten my dinner around 35 years ago, one of those places on the left looking at the Colosseum.

Thanks

Excellent. Some of the places along there are the same as when I was a kid, a lot has changed of course. There's now a self service restaurant along there, the food is good, freshly prepared and cheap. Often get lunch there if I'm in town.