McDonald's: The New Third Space?
As Starbucks Shrugs, My Local McDonald's Hugs
UPDATE: STARBUCKS is feeling the heat.
I had a lot of jobs when I was growing up, and the good fortune of living a block away from a minor league ball park where the farm league Wausau Mets (later, the Timbers; now, the Woodchucks) — played (and play). For a kid in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, there weren’t many better gigs than that.
Since I needed Winter income as well, I also did my time at McDonald’s on the grill making burgers and fries. In those days (the dawn of the ‘80s), 90% of guys would get grill duty, while women ran the registers. Employees could get burgers and fries half-price before, during, or after punching in; unfortunately, your “crew purchases” were closely monitored, so you couldn’t open and close an eight-hour shift with some bargain Quarter Pounders.
I also remember McDonald’s primarily being a drive-thru experience, though you could and would occasionally go inside, grab a tray, and sit with a Big Mac. Geographically speaking, the McD’s in the city where I grew up were “toward the edges” in terms of location; you were generally driving or being driven there.
So, McDonald’s was a place to go get burgers and fries, and maybe occasionally sit in a booth.
The Hang Out
With college came the Coffee Shop era. I went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and on State Street (the main commercial drag on campus) you had choices — Expresso Royale and Steep & Brew come to mind. You could also sit in the Student Union on the lakefront for hours on end, ingesting caffeine (and whatever else popped up). In fact, the first Starbucks didn’t open in Madison until the late ‘90s (it took over the old Wendy’s restaurant site on State Street) because, frankly, it was redundant. A college campus — UW Madison in particular — thrives on providing places for persons to feel comfortable simply hanging out.
Starbucks initially built its business on this “third space” concept already familiar to campus life; a “stay as long as you’d like” communal hangout separate from home and work, fostering communication and community. Indeed, when I moved from Madison to Milwaukee, Starbucks filled that space for me — no Student Union? No problem.
I watched Starbucks evolve as the internet took hold and WiFi went from magic to mandatory. When I went freelance after a couple years, Starbucks became a comfortable “branch office” offering a change of environment and, occasionally, actual interactions with other humans. It was Arnold’s Diner, that “hang out” we all yearned for when we watched Happy Days as kids.
“It never really was about the coffee to me with Starbucks,” Matt Dollinger wrote for Fast Company in 2008. “When I think about Starbucks, I think about Comfy Chairs, Great Smells, Pretty People and WiFi.”
Alas, as you may have seen in various media: Starbucks is no longer a “hang out.”
The once-comfortable Starbucks atmosphere has now taken more and more subtle turns toward “Get your expensive coffee and move on.”
Strong Towns, which posted the “X” exchange above, explained further:
Choosing the transactional over the experiential, as journalist Nathaniel Meyersohn put it in a CNN piece enumerating the changes to the coffee shop, is expected for any company that grows as large and lives as long as Starbucks has. Some changes were pandemic-necessitated adaptations that were never reversed, while others were a response to new norms. According to the company, most purchases are made through its mobile app, the majority of drinks ordered are cold, and apparently, people just don’t want to sit inside a Starbucks as much anymore.
I observe this during my now-infrequent trips to the local Starbucks. The baristas are still very friendly, but the post-pandemic layout is subtly different; the center of attention seems to be a corner of the counter where prepped orders are arrayed for pick-up by individuals and delivery services — a lot of traffic in and out. When I arrive with a laptop I can generally find a space to sit and work, but the very subtle re-positioning of tables and chairs makes it less… inviting. Also, beverages at Starbucks range from $2 to $8, and the “rewards” program is a bit weak.1
McD’s to the Rescue
Twice a week, I drive my adult son, who has Down’s Syndrome, to his terrific work experience at The Laundry Shop. The owner is great — a no-nonsense and patient soul who keeps Ben on task (yes, Ben Folds). Just to be on the safe side, however, I usually set up camp nearby during his two-hour shift. My wife suggested the Starbucks down the road, or perhaps McDonald’s.
McDonald’s?
Two hours in a McD’s booth did not seem doable to me. I drove to the nearby Starbucks instead because it seemed more “standard.”
In its defense, this particular Starbucks has always been drive-thru oriented; a non-chain coffee shop with a much more spacious interior was once just down the road, but closed during COVID. This Starbucks consists pretty much of a long bar/counter which leads to the restrooms. The drive-thru window is just a few feet from the counter; you basically feel like you’re interrupting their “real business” when you order in person.
Once seated, you are unavoidably adjacent to foot traffic in and out. The WiFi works, but the feeling of being somehow “in the way” is hard to shake.
It was uncomfortable enough for me that, next time around after dropping off my son, I took my wife’s outside-the-lines advice and tried the McDonald’s down the road. It’s located at a busy intersection, and seems designed primarily as a drive-thru. Parking is readily available, however.
When I went inside, there was no familiar busy, long counter with a row of cash registers at which to order — just an off-to-the-side opening through which I saw the occasional crewmember scurry by. The main attractions were two pillars with screens on either side, inviting you to scan your phone’s McDonald’s app and create an order.
So, I did; miraculously, it worked. I even helped another person enter their order.
Next, I was asked via screen message to take a small plastic “tent” with a number on it and pick a table at which to sit.
Seems a bit — robotic, right?
Things changed quickly. Before I could crack open my laptop, a very nice woman appeared at my table with my order. Then, she noted that it was Corine’s birthday — “She’s been working here for 47 years!” — and asked if I’d like some cake.
Sure!
So, laptop open — WiFi’s working fine — and I have bonus cake. Lots of space. Nice!
About 15 minutes later, I see the same employee coming my way with coffee.
“Refill?”
Refill?!?! Sure!
Looking around me, it’s a fairly typical brightly colored and lit McDonald’s dining area — no faux-cafe visuals, etc. — but people are in no hurry to leave. Lots of cross-table chatting, and eventually Corine appears and everyone sings “Happy Birthday.” Meanwhile, I’m on my fourth coffee refill and getting a bit of work done
Four coffees at my new third space…
Alas, on Feb. 13, 2023, this same rewards program was revamped to require more points (known as Stars) to redeem free drinks and other goodies, and some requirements actually doubled. Further, the recent revamp “disintegrated” earned Stars of Rewards members (including my own).