Goodbye My Old Sweet 1980s McDonalds (12 PHOTOS)

I stopped by the McDonald’s on Snow Road in Parma, Ohio, to chat with the old-timers and capture some photographs before the building is removed. Originally built in 1966 as a walk-up restaurant, a dining room was added later to accommodate sit-down customers. Despite the upgrades over the years, this McDonald’s always kept its old-school charm, and the drive-through remained as busy as ever. Inside, a few people were having lunch, quietly enjoying a place that had been a staple of their routine for decades.

This McDonald’s holds a special place in my heart. My parents used to bring us here when we were kids, and it felt like a mini adventure every time. The place is like a time capsule, with its warm brown interior, vintage booths, and décor that perfectly captured the late 1980s and early 1990s—a nostalgic reminder of a different era. I felt an overwhelming need to document it before it disappeared forever.

I struck up a conversation with a group of gentlemen enjoying their coffee—a familiar scene. They’ve been coming here every day for decades. I asked them, “Will you be going to the new location?” They didn’t hesitate. “Yup, every day,” they replied, almost matter-of-factly. Yet, there was something wistful in their voices, as if they knew deep down that it wouldn’t feel the same.

There was something truly special about this McDonald’s. For some reason, the food always tasted better here—especially the fries. Maybe it was the odd but unforgettable green mermaid painting that thousands of us stared at as kids and teenagers, sparking our imaginations. Maybe it was the warm brown hues of the interior that created a cozy, familiar, almost homely atmosphere. Or maybe it was something intangible—magic, perhaps. Who knows? But whatever “it” was, it made this place stand out.

Now, everything is changing. The places we grew up with—the ones that felt dear, sweet, and human—are being replaced by uniform gray boxes that feel more like sterile clinics than gathering places. The new McDonald’s that replaced this one sits just across the street from this old one (now just a gray building ), several feet from the Parma Snow Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, in a shopping plaza near Giant Eagle. It looks like most new McDonald’s today—another gray box with sleek, impersonal lines. It has two drive-through lanes to speed things up. Inside, there are no friendly faces behind the counter to greet you. Instead, you’re met with rows of towering white touch screens—giant, tablet-like kiosks that guide you to place your order and then wait, like you’re at a pharmacy.

The charm is gone. The sense of familiarity, the small moments of connection—they’ve been stripped away in favor of something cold and efficient. Something good died the day they ripped out that old McDonald’s. It wasn’t just a building—it was a place filled with memories, laughter, and community.

Take a look at these photos and remember what made places like this so special. Because once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.