McPlayground to be revealed: Renovated Hong Kong McDonald's outlet to get city's first outdoor PlayPlace
Community concern as McDonald's outlet in Tai Wo undergoes renovation
McDonald's is unveiling its first "family flagship store", complete with the fast food chain's only outdoor playground in the city.
The plans have been kept under wraps for the Tai Wo outlet, which has been under renovation for the past few months and is due to reopen at 3pm on Sunday.
A statement from the fast-food giant said the restaurant had undergone a complete makeover with the addition of a playground and baby care facilities.
"McDonald's has always placed importance on family relationships so it was natural for us to make this decision," said a staff member who declined to be named.
The play area is called PlayPlace as in other outlets around the world.
However, the Hong Kong version will be special given limited space in the city. It is next to the existing outlet.
PlayPlace at US franchises features mega ball pits and multi-deck jungle gyms with slides and tube tunnels.
While it is unclear if the Hong Kong branch will have the same facilities, photos posted on a community Facebook page showed similar climbing tunnels.
There will also be a "baby care room" catering to new mothers, according to the McDonald's statement.
The source added that they chose Tai Wo because of the family nature of the community in the area.
Residents of Tai Wo took to social media yesterday when someone spotted a crane demolishing the iconic golden arch signpost at the outlet.
"Goodbye..." David Choi posted along with a tearful emoji on the Tai Po community Facebook page.
The post attracted hundreds of comments from confused internet users, who thought the 24-hour restaurant was closing down.
Some lamented the loss of part of the community's collective memory. "The sign has been there since I was three years old! 27 years! How dare you take it down!" commented Mickey Wong.
Comments such as "It's the first McDonald's I've ever eaten at" flooded the comment thread.
A new signpost was erected in its place later in the afternoon.