There is little question that McDonald's dominates the global fast food market. With over 41,000 locations and around $120 billion in sales in 2023, McDonald's holds the title of the largest and most lucrative fast food chain in the world, as reported by Fortune . The chain has made its name on consistency and convenience, delivering a uniform dining experience across thousands of restaurants. However, while the restaurant may offer fast food menu items that taste exactly the same no matter where in the world you find yourself, its brick-and-mortar locations are surprisingly varied.

When we think of a McDonald's restaurant, we typically envision a simple exterior with large glass windows, a minimalist design, and, of course, the chain's iconic golden arches. However, not all McDonald's outlets conform to this stereotype. In fact, some McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. and around the world stand out for their unique settings, history, aesthetics, and features. Ready to find out more about some of the most unusual McDonald's locations around the world? Read on and be amazed!

2. The McDonald's with a sky kitchen at Sydney Airport, Australia

The McDonald's at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is impossible to miss, serving as a beacon to travelers seeking a little culinary comfort and familiarity before their flight. The cutting-edge restaurant features a striking two-floor design, with a kitchen enclosed in a transparent yellow box on the second level, just above the service counter.

Opened in 2018, this McDonald's location isn't just about appearance. It's also about making the most of limited space by employing clever technological advances. Since the kitchen is located on the second level, a winding conveyor belt system has been set up to transport meals down to the ground floor. Once an order is placed in a bag, the staff attach it to the innovative transporter, which glides it down to the ordering counter, where it is unclipped and served. This ingenious setup not only increases efficiency but also adds an element of entertainment to the experience, as customers can watch their meals travel down the sleek conveyor system to the register below.

3. The futuristic glass dome McDonald's in Batumi, Georgia

Also known as the "Las Vegas of the Black Sea," Batumi in Georgia is a beachside town where history meets modern architecture, with ornate churches and historical villas standing alongside futuristic skyscrapers. One of the city's architectural gems is the glass-domed McDonald's building in downtown Batumi. Built in 2013, the construction even won the title of Best Commercial Building of 2014 for its innovative design from the architecture website ArchDaily .

Constructed on top of a gas station, which can be accessed by the entrance to the drive-thru, the McDonald's building truly comes into its own at night. Illuminated by vibrant lights, the iconic glass structure turns into a beacon amid the cityscape. The interior of the building is just as impressive, with plenty of natural light, innovative seating, and contemporary light fixtures. The building is surrounded by an impeccably manicured garden and fringed by a reflecting pool.

4. The McDonald's at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Located on the southeastern coast of Cuba, Guantánamo Bay is best known for its association with the United States Naval Base and the Guantánamo Bay detention camp. As such, it doesn't come as a surprise that the only McDonald's on the island is actually within the grounds of the naval base — an area where the U.S. has had "complete jurisdiction and control" since 1903 in exchange for the recognition of Cuba's sovereignty. It's also not surprising that unlike other McDonald's locations, which are open to anybody who can afford them, the restaurant only caters to the personnel on the base.

Dating back to 1986, the McDonald's outlet has remained steadfast in the face of shifting political relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Since becoming the holding facility for "War on Terror" detainees, the base has seen an influx of fast food outlets, including Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, as well as Caribbean Coffee and Cream, which offers Starbucks coffee. Interestingly, in 2015, the U.S. military prohibited lawyers from bringing outside food, including McDonald's, to detainees during legal meetings at Guantánamo Bay, citing health concerns.

5. McDonald's run by robots in Fort Worth, Texas

What comes to mind when you think about fast food of the future? Chances are that it's automated kitchens, complete with a streamlined ordering system and robotic chefs. After all, it's speed, efficiency, and standardized food that have made fast food chains so successful. A technology-forward McDonald's outlet in Fort Worth, Texas , has been testing the chain's first "fully automated" grab-and-go restaurant since 2022. The last time we checked, the restaurant was still accepting orders.

To cut a long story short, McDonald's customers can now order and pick up their meals without having any contact with other people. The food is ordered using automated screens and delivered through a mechanical system. The restaurant also features a delivery pick-up area for couriers and an "Order Ahead Lane," which allows customers to place their order before they arrive at the restaurant and pick it up via a conveyor belt.

While the so-called fully automated McDonald's gives the appearance of the entire meal being prepared and delivered by robots, this isn't entirely true. According to Hallmanac , human employees are still preparing the food. This is also implied by a statement made by Keith Vanecek, the restaurant's franchisee: "The technology in this restaurant not only allows us to serve our customers in new, innovative ways, it gives our restaurant team the ability to concentrate more on order speed and accuracy."

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10. The ski-thru McDonald's in Sälen, Sweden

While drive-thru restaurants are the order of the day for many of us, I bet only a few have ever heard of a ski-thru. However, when you think about it, the idea makes a lot of sense. Skiing is hungry work, and grabbing a quick bite on the slopes without even taking off your skis is the ultimate convenience.

The only ski-thru McDonald's in the world is at the Lindvallen ski resort in Sälen, Sweden. Established in 1996, the outlet only opens for business during the ski season when the slopes fill with hungry skiers. Diners have the option of either dining in or taking their order away. In an interview with Business Insider , Omar Dabous, the operations manager of the franchisee organization that owns this particular outlet, said that the restaurant's most popular item is hot chocolate . Sälen's ski-thru McDonald's also serves a few other specialties not normally found on standard menus, including McToasts, hot wings, gluten-free burgers, and a vegetarian burger dressed with a sour cream and chive sauce.

11. The train station McDonald's in Barstow, California

Most of us have probably indulged in a Big Mac and French fries at a train station or on a train. However, not many have eaten Mcdonald's in a decommissioned train car that has been repurposed into a dining area. The Barstow Station McDonald's in California offers precisely this experience. Established in 1975, the Barstow Station sits off Interstate 15 on the way to Las Vegas. The compound is also home to other eateries such as Dunkin', Wetzel's Pretzels, and Subway, although its original and main occupant has been McDonald's.

Barstow Station is composed of 16 passenger cars, a caboose, which serves as a bathroom, and a water tower adorned with the chain's iconic golden arches. For an extra touch of authenticity, freight trains pass along the tracks behind the Barstow Station dining area.

According to rumor, the mastermind behind Barstow Station, Fred Rosenberg, won the McDonald's restaurant in a card game with Ray Kroc, the businessman who transformed McDonald's into the world's largest fast-food franchise. Neither confirming nor denying the rumor, Rosenberg's son, Billy Rosenberg, once addressed it in an interview with NBC: "Ray Kroc and my father got tangled up in a hand of cards, and my father just happened to flop the full house" (via YouTube ).

12. The McDonald's in a former residence of a late Taiwanese leader in Hangzhou, China

The transformation of a historical villa in Hangzhou, China, into a McCafe in 2015 sparked its fair share of controversy and not only due to the building's heritage value. The 1930s villa is said to have been the former home of the Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo. In fact, the son of the former Kuomintang (KMT) leader, Chiang Kai-shek, only resided in the home for around a month prior to the KMT's defeat by the Chinese Communist Party in the 1940s.

The two-story building was given the status of a cultural relic in 2004 before being renovated by a local businessman, Shen Chunlei, who claims to have paid $800,000 to bring the building to its current state. "I spent all that money maintaining and managing the property, of course I would hope for it to generate revenues," he told CNN , explaining why he decided to lease it to McDonald's. Beyond renovating the villa, Shen Chunlei hasn't altered the facade of the wood-and-brick building. Aside from housing a McCafe, the interior of the building also showcases information about Chiang Ching-kuo's life, as stipulated by the local Cultural Relics Bureau.