Ronald McDonald doesn't push in his chair

I 'd heard the new McDonald's near Lowe's had opened. Correction, my boys had heard the new McDonald's had opened so we visited for lunch on Saturday.

As I'm sure you're aware even if you glanced driving by, there's no playground. That was a big downer for my boys, but obviously not enough to get them to change their mind about lunch there.

The inside was a little too modern for its own good in my opinion; the pastel yellow chairs have a large hole in the back essentially ruling out using the space between your back & chairback as a storage space for, say, little coats or a purse. And the chairs are rather wide and smooth, making it difficult to hang little jackets (or a purse) over without them falling to the floor.

But bear in mind, I have no history in critiquing decor so take it for what it's worth. But I much prefer the close-to-garish yellow overhangs on the outside to the look inside. I prefer utilitarian to showy, especially since we're not exactly talking fine dining here. Of course, this won't stop us from visiting McDonald's when we want to.

On the upside, Ronald McDonald happened to be visiting. Despite my kids turning shy every time he got near, they enjoyed his presence. Ronald himself sat down with us and talked with them a little before moving onto other tables & other kids. As we were leaving, I mentioned how cool it was that Ronald McDonald happened to be there & my oldest proceeded to tell me that "Ronald McDonald doesn't push in his chair." And anyone since who has heard about their encounter with Ronald McDonald hears this little tidbit as well.

So besides Ronald McDonald's poor manners (corporate bigwigs at McDonald's, I hope you're listening), it was a successful visit as far as the kids were concerned.

And for fast food gourmands, the new McDonald's should be a welcome addition to Waxhaw. I've been very displeased with service at Burger Kings' & Bojangles' drive-through. Too often the food was cold, missing or just unpleasant (and I mean unpleasant by fast food standards) when I got home. The Wendy's in Lancaster County was a nice addition but a tad far if not stopping by the way home. But now with a McDonald's nearby, maybe that will light a fire in its competitors for better service.