A Tale of Two Burger Joints

The McDonald's in Vancouver, WA (2110 East 4th Plain Boulevard) has a number of bike serving features, specifically parking.

Rather than get into a discussion on the relative or perceived nutritional value of the food, I want you to look at what McDonald's has provided.

I cannot say if this wealth of bike parking unique to this McDonald's, or whether these are features adopted when a McDonald's gets a remodel, which the one on 4th plain did get.

The 4th Plain McDonald's has a sign right by the front door that is easy to read and clear on where the bike racks are. Having a sign by the door almost says we are glad you came by bike and we have facilities located right over there...enjoy.

The location of the bike parking is about 40 feet from the door, right at the front, along the front sidewalk, and within view of the front. It is obvious and clearly put for a person on a bike to ride up, park, and walk in. No adventures through bushes or a trek from the other side of the parking lot.

The swatch of land that makes up the bike facility is also clean and has easy access. The concrete slab around the rack is a nice touch as no one likes to stomp in the mud while securing a bike. The facility is also located far enough from the door that bike use does not impede people walking by. There is no interaction which is great.

This particular McDonald's must be unique because I often see a bike inside the entry when a person needs to pop in but does not have a lock. No issue is made. And no one is bothered by it. Clearly, it could be something that the manager complains about or puts up a strict rule, going so far as to post a sign within the entry way saying NO BIKES. However, the manager has not.

To give some comparison, the other McDonald's that I pass (8011 NE MLK, Portland, OR) has far fewer of these bike facilities. However, it is also an older McDonald's. I have not seen the thin staple rack ever used and the only bike I do see is usually parked inside the outdoor seating area, locked to the fence with a cheap cable lock.

While this rack is located closer to the front door, about 10 feet, it interferes with people walking by and is touching the sidewalk that is next to the automobile exit traffic from the drive up. I wish I had a photo to share of this exchange of traffic, just know it is not ideal.

Perhaps, given McDonald's history and growth around automobiles, bike traffic was not considered part of the food-purchasing traffic. This makes sense and is a totally reasonable business plan. I wonder what percentage of current patrons arrive by bike when visiting a McDonald's. (For a good history and insight into the McDonald's company, I am currently reading, Behind the Golden Arches.)

The real question is what changes will I see at McDonald's in the next decade? Will more and better bike parking be part of the McD plan?

McRacks ... I like the sound of that and the arches totally lend themselves to a custom bike rack.

I did a bit of online reading as I was interested what the rest of the nation was saying, or observing, about McDonald's and bike racks. Most of what I read said two things. One, and it seemed to be quite important to state by the commenter was that they (a) do not eat McDonald's food. The second comment I noticed was that people are observing a lack of racks at McDonald's and if a bike is present, it is usually attached to a fence. (Here is just a sample discussion from 2007 which tells me this is not an often visited topic.)

The Burgervilles that I pass have several racks. Does this make them a better restaurant? Most would argue the food is better and the company buys local ingredients and composts/recycles and maybe that forward thinking mind set is why Burgerville considers people on bike a daily possibility at their restaurant.

The Burgerville across from the 4th Plain McDonald's has a rack. Their unique solution to needing bike parking was to take out a car parking spot and make it a bike parking spot. It is out of the way of people walking, and is near the front door, approximately as close as the parking at McD across the street. The overall look of the facility is less appealing. However, there is good access to the rack from three sides, and plenty of room.

While none of these racks, rack placements, facility designs, or restaurants are indicative of all of the locations, it gives me something to observe. I hope to see more facilities (better) at all locations in the future.

I especially want to know the history of the 4th Plain McDonald's, being that it is a remodeled one, and the Burgerville across the street. Two burger joints and how they approached the need for bike parking. Each need carried out in a way that matched their layout, but also likely reflected the philosophies of that particular branch and access to resources.

The Flickr set of these photos.