McDonald’s

By: Mia Romero-Raborg

| OG McDonald's on 1144 Yonkers, Ave |

I hurried to finish my Happy Meal as I sat at one of the tables inside McDonald's. My mom had only one rule: I could go inside the PlayPlace after I had finished my food. I fixed my eyes on the colorful playhouse as I stuffed my face with McNuggets, anticipating how much fun I’d have climbing the colorful steps, crawling through tunnels, and banging on the plastic window that represented the belly of a big plastic robot-shaped structure to get my mom’s attention. As soon as I ate the last fry left from the bottom of the bag, and after getting a nod of approval from my mom, I rushed to the cubbies to take off my light-up Sketchers and ran straight into the PlayPlace.

The moment I crawled into the first purple tunnel, it was as if I was in a different world. I hauled myself up the first steps, using all the force I had as if I were conquering Mount Everest. I pulled myself up on the last step and wobbly rolled over. As I looked at the rainbow-colored tunnels and mats, I felt like I was in a colorful world where I could do anything that came to my mind. 

As an only child, the friends I made inside the PlayPlace became the siblings I never had, even if I only saw them once. With them, I discovered different worlds and expanded my creativity. We traded our Happy Meal toys for the ones we wanted, made “scientific discoveries” together as we observed our parents through the scratched plastic windows, and imagined ourselves going up to the highest floor of the Burj Khalifa as we climbed the multicolored steps. Playing pretend involved taking on roles such as the mom of the family or the doctor in a hospital, and there was always someone else who wanted the same role as me. I quickly learned to negotiate; if my compromise didn’t work out, we’d debate who was more worthy of the role. I asserted why I deserved the role and always won my case.

Unknowingly, crawling through those colorful tunnels helped me develop my critical thinking skills. The PlayPlace was fundamental to my development and how I express myself. I learned problem-solving skills and expanded my creativity and imagination in ways I hadn’t before. I was applying the leadership skills I learned from organizing games in the Play House in class and at recess. I used my creative imagination to make birthday gifts for my parents out of clay and placed them in bags I had re-used from my own Christmas gifts.

A few years later, on my way back from school, my mom chose a different route, and we ended up driving past McDonald's. I looked up to the McDonald's, ready to ask my mom if I could get some, knowing she’d remind me there was food at home. I realized that all the lights were off and caution tape surrounded it. “What happened?” I asked my mom, and she explained that they were remodeling the McDonald’s. Ever since the COVID-19 quarantine, every McDonald’s has gone through a remodeling. Even though I knew this, I was not expecting the McDonald’s on Yonkers Ave to fall victim to this epidemic. 

Once the remodeling was done, I finally got to buy my dearly missed McNuggets. I walked around the dull and almost colorless McDonald’s. The only color left was a little bit of the traditional red and yellow to outline the booth chairs and ordering stations. I walked into the play area, which was now almost empty since the PlayPen had been removed. On the side, there were iPads built into tables and a projector from the ceiling that displayed games on the center of the floor for kids to play on by stomping their feet. I walked around reminiscing, and it honestly was like a scene from a cliche movie where a character feels upset and ponders about something for way too long. But I was genuinely upset. For me, the PlayPlace wasn’t just important for what it was on the outside, it was the experiences I had there that mattered most. All the friendships I made, all the lessons I learned, everything happened inside that PlayPlace. It was a place where I could unleash my creativity, learn negotiation skills, and use my imagination. Though I was heartbroken, I stopped sulking and looked towards the future. I feel for the next generation who won’t get to grow up with the magic of a traditional McDonald’s PlayPlace, but I’m grateful that I got to experience it. I learned about who I am, what I like and what I don’t like, and many life skills that I continue to use. If it weren’t for those foggy plastic windows and the maze of colorful plastic tunnels and steps, I wouldn’t be who I am today.