Typically, fast food restaurant design is made to get customers in and out the door quickly, but this McCafé in Guatemala invites lounging. The gorgeous interior sets itself apart from the designs of many McDonalds restaurants -- the space is flooded with natural light, and rich textures.
Solis Colomer Arquitectos was challenged to create a new type of café experience in El Zapote, and they did just that. One of the most striking features of the space is a beautiful installation of wooden blocks that wraps the walls and ceiling of the interior. Light filters through the blocks, creating an effect that is like the canopy of a forest. Although it is like being in a forest, the square ends of the blocks feel very pixel-like and modern.
Photo credit: designboom and solis colomer arquitectosPhoto Credits: designboom, soliscolomer
Upscale Fast Food Cafes
This Fast Food Restaurant Design Encourages Lounging
Trend Themes
1. Upscale Fast Food - The design of this McCafé in Guatemala, which encourages lounging, shows there is a trend towards the creation of upscale fast food cafes that prioritize aesthetics and experience over fast service.
2. Natural Light Restaurant Design - The McCafé's use of natural light as part of its aesthetic shows a trend towards more natural light restaurant designs that prioritize ambiance and sustainability.
3. Pixel-like Wooden Block Installations - The pixel-like wooden block installation on the walls and ceiling of the McCafé's interior presents a trend towards creative, eye-catching wooden installations to create an aesthetic that stands out.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - Fast food chains can take advantage of the trend of upscale fast food cafes by investing in and improving their restaurant designs to create a more enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing experience for customers.
2. Architecture and Interior Design - The trend towards natural light restaurant designs and creative wooden installations presents an opportunity for architects and interior designers to create unique and innovative restaurant spaces.
3. Sustainability - The trend towards natural light restaurant designs in the fast food industry presents an opportunity for fast food chains to prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency in their restaurant designs.