Current:Home > reviewsVideo shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene -TradeWisdom
Video shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene
View
Date:2025-04-18 00:49:07
A pretty special McDonald's took a big hit after Hurricane Helene rolled into North Carolina, which caused unprecedented devastation and destruction to a number of states across the Southeast.
The McDonald's, located in Asheville, was one of many structures in the historic Biltmore Village, an 8,000-acre property affected by "catastrophic flooding," according to reporting by Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Biltmore Village is expected to remain closed until Tuesday, Oct. 15, but may remain shuttered longer as crews begin to assess the damages caused by the storm, which killed at least 200 people.
The McDonald's franchise, built in 2000, was renovated to exude the "high-society elegance" that other bars, restaurants, clothing stores within the Biltmore Village, and was dubbed the "world's fanciest" McDonald's, according to reporting by Atlas Obscura.
Before Hurricane Helene completely gutted the inside of the McDonald's, customers were greeted with red oak tables, wrought iron railings, "and luminous chandeliers under a sweeping pressed-tin ceiling, with every wood feature boasting a handsome finish," Atlas Obscura reported.
A baby grand piano stationed in the corner only elevated the dining experience, playing music as customers waited for their orders or tucked into Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets, Atlas Obscura reported. The McDonald's even had a giant stone chimney.
USA TODAY has reached out to McDonald's for additional information.
Watch: 'World's fanciest' McDonald's left in ruins after Hurricane Helene
As an Uber and Lyft driver, Vitor Sa drives by the corner everyday despite never eating there, he told USA TODAY on Friday. The fancy McDonald's is now caked by at least a foot of mud, Sa said.
"I have passengers this week that I picked up and their family is just like 'We're not going to be able to go to McDonald's and Wendy's anymore this week,' because they're all closed. They're completely destroyed," Sa said. "Their kids are missing the McDonald's that was there."
Contributing: Anthony Robledo
veryGood! (142)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- 11-year-old dead, woman injured in shooting near baseball stadium
- California lawmakers approve new tax for guns and ammunition to pay for school safety improvements
- Saints rookie QB Jake Haener suspended 6 games for violating NFL's policy on PEDs
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Police officer killed, another injured in car crash in Hartford
- Japan launches moon probe, hopes to be 5th country to land on lunar surface
- New Jersey's Ocean City taps AI gun detection in hopes of thwarting mass shootings
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Polish director demands apology from justice minister for comparing her film to Nazi propaganda
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- A 4-year-old girl disappeared in 2021. Can new images help police solve the case?
- Stock market today: Asian shares fall as China reports weaker global demand hit its trade in August
- A unified strategy and more funding are urgently needed to end the crisis in Myanmar, UN chief says
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Hairspray's Sarah Francis Jones Goes Into Labor at Beyoncé Concert
- Tokyo’s threatened Jingu Gaien park placed on ‘Heritage Alert’ list by conservancy body
- Australia and China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of a slight thaw
Recommendation
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Earth just had its hottest summer on record, U.N. says, warning climate breakdown has begun
Convicted of embezzlement, former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is running again
Ex-Trump aide Peter Navarro found guilty of contempt of Congress
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Kendra Wilkinson Goes to Emergency Room After Suffering Panic Attack
Joseph Fiordaliso, who championed clean energy as head of New Jersey utilities board, dies at 78
Newly obtained George Santos vulnerability report spotted red flags long before embattled Rep. was elected