Retail Watchers

I know this is a subject that doesn't seem to be brought up much, but I am wondering what the history is behind fast food restaurant PlayPlaces?? At McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Jr, and Chick fil A. I know some areas of the country and certain restaurants phased out of these playgrounds years ago and there are some that still have them and still have as many as they did at their peak, and even McDonald's still builds new locations with PlayPlaces. Why did a majority of Burger King restaurants decide to do away with outdoor playgrounds in 2008, while the indoor ones weren't affected by that decision and there are still a few Burger Kings to this day that have outdoor playgrounds? And there is no article explaining why?? The Carl's Jr franchises in my town of Cameron Park, nearby Folsom(indoor one), Citrus Heights(indoor one), and Roseville decided to do away with their PlayPlaces in 2021, while the locations in Auburn (now closed) and Galt with outdoor playgrounds kept them. Do they strategically choose what playgrounds to keep.

Here's my article explaning the history of Carl's Jr playgrounds: https://haydenbusinessblog.blogspot.com ... coast.html

Here are the lists of McDonald's, Carl's Jr and Burger King playgrounds:
https://malls.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_M ... laygrounds
https://malls.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_C ... laygrounds
https://malls.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_B ... laygrounds

Just wondering about how this segment is run. Do indoor playgrounds generate much more business or do outdoor ones have just as much?? Why didn't Carl's Jr get more into the indoor playgrounds in the 2000s??

I think outdoor playgrounds at McDonald's restaurants started to appear in the 1970s, and for a time it was rather common to see the McDonaldland themed playgrounds in front of many McDonald's locations. Some time in the 1990s the indoor ones started to become more common, but it seems to be a somewhat regional thing.

Outdoor playgrounds at restaurants (aside from a few scattered Sonic locations I've found with one) are largely a thing of the past. Looking over Street View history, it seems like a lot of the McDonald's locations here had outdoor playplaces at one point that got removed when the Mansard roof buildings got rebuilt, and now I don't know of any nearby McDonald's with a playplace. Chick-Fil-A seems to be the only one (at least in the areas I've seen them) still building new restaurants with playgrounds, although up in the Pacific Northwest it seems most rebuilds of McDonald's that had playplaces before will include them in the new restaurant. I don't go to Burger King often enough to know much about them, but I'm not aware of any Burger Kings here that have a playground.

Where's the region you are talking about??

Brian Lutz wrote: ↑April 4th, 2024, 10:42 am I think outdoor playgrounds at McDonald's restaurants started to appear in the 1970s, and for a time it was rather common to see the McDonaldland themed playgrounds in front of many McDonald's locations. Some time in the 1990s the indoor ones started to become more common, but it seems to be a somewhat regional thing.

Outdoor playgrounds at restaurants (aside from a few scattered Sonic locations I've found with one) are largely a thing of the past. Looking over Street View history, it seems like a lot of the McDonald's locations here had outdoor playplaces at one point that got removed when the Mansard roof buildings got rebuilt, and now I don't know of any nearby McDonald's with a playplace. Chick-Fil-A seems to be the only one (at least in the areas I've seen them) still building new restaurants with playgrounds, although up in the Pacific Northwest it seems most rebuilds of McDonald's that had playplaces before will include them in the new restaurant. I don't go to Burger King often enough to know much about them, but I'm not aware of any Burger Kings here that have a playground.

Where's the region you are talking about??

Currently I am located in the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point) area of North Carolina. Before that I lived in the Seattle metro area for many years. Up there indoor playplaces are probably more attractive since there's much more of the year that weather conditions are unfavorable to being outside for any length of time.

Interestingly enough, Chick-fil-A is actively pushing all locations to reopen their playgrounds immediately in SoCal. The one by my house hasn't operated since COVID and had been walled off to make an office and break room. The walls were removed and it is open again as of just last week. There are two brand new builds that opened in the last 90 days I haven't visited yet but I don't think they included playgrounds.

Meanwhile a McDonald's nearby got a full interior remodel, no work on the outside, and the playground is still mothballed. They left the playplace signs up in the remodel and they are still covered in garbage bags.

I know of one McDonald's in the San Francisco Bay Area in San Ramon that remodeled to the newest decor and kept the indoor playground. This one is the tall version with ladders and plastic slides. I would say this is the kind for active kids to exercise. It is up to the individual owner of the location to choose to keep the playground or not.

Many fast food workers have commented that children puke in the playground on almost a daily basis. It is a lot of work to clean up, but many parents go out of their way for an indoor playground. In winter, it is too cold for outdoor playgrounds when parents get off of work so McDonald's is the perfect place after dinner.

There are also 100 degree summer days when parents bring their kids for an indoor playground.

Burger King had many 80s era indoor and outdoor plastic playgrounds in the San Francisco Bay Area up until the past few years when Burger King started remodeling their local restaurants. Most of the playgrounds are gone now. Many were removed during COVID to provide outdoor dining with tables.

There are a few newly remodeled McDonald's in my area with indoor play areas that are the sit down kind with computer screens with computer games. These are the playgrounds where kids are less likely to puke, so restaurants prefer this version.

Chick-fil-a in Walnut Creek, California had an indoor climbing playground still operating last year. I am not sure if it is still there.

It is so kids can play and eat at the same place and the parents can relax(maybe).

Boise, Idaho at one point had a "McDonaldland Park" behind the location on Orchard Street (the first to open in Idaho) The park is long gone but traces are still visible on Google Maps.