Clothing store seen through a red arch, with light wood display shelving, a wavy gold ceiling, globe pendants and a McDonald’s checkout at the back
Portfolio

McDonald’s Retail Store

Retail

Overview

A two-level clothing store that imagines McDonald’s as a fashion brand. Shoppers browse apparel on the retail floor, then head upstairs to personalize it at a customization counter with sewing and embroidery machines and design stations.

The brief

The goal was an elevated brand experience: a store that is instantly recognizable as McDonald’s, but warm and refined enough to sell clothing rather than fast food. The brand needed to show up in the architecture itself, not just in logos on the wall.

The project started from a hand-drafted plan of a 35 by 60 foot, two-level store. Taking it from start to finish meant better back-of-house support, improved circulation, more ADA accessibility and a smoother path for customers from the front door to checkout and up to the customization floor.

Practical considerations

  • A 35 by 60 foot footprint on two floors, connected by a stair and an elevator
  • A customer entrance and window display at the front, with a service entrance at the back
  • A retail area, checkout and three dressing rooms on the first floor
  • An ADA accessible family bathroom and a stock room
  • A customization area on the second floor with design stations, drop off and pick up
  • A break room, office and upper stock room for staff

The concept

The golden arches, translated into architecture. Red arched doorways frame each zone, a wavy gold ceiling runs overhead like a ribbon, and light wood paneling and shelving warm the whole store. A palette of light wood, red, mustard yellow and soft gray carries the brand with a lighter, more grown-up touch, and feature lighting turns each area into a moment.

The approach

  • Reworking the original plan

    The hand-drafted plans were refined in CAD. On the first floor, the retail area opens from the front door to a central checkout, with the dressing rooms, stock room and bathroom tucked behind. Moving the elevator to a front corner frees up the middle of both floors.

  • Arches that frame the store

    Arched doorways, an arched beam and arched display shelving repeat through both floors, echoing the logo and guiding shoppers from one zone to the next.

  • Brand in the details

    The M logo sits on a wood-paneled wall above a slatted checkout counter, a gold ceiling ornament crowns the customization counter, and posters reading Create Your Style tie the branding to the idea of making clothes your own.

  • A floor for making it your own

    Upstairs, a curved customization counter with sewing and embroidery machines and checkout stations sits beside computer design desks under a red arch. A lounge with yellow chairs and display shelving gives customers a place to wait while their pieces are made.

  • Accessible throughout

    An ADA height checkout counter, grab bars in the bathroom and dressing room, a baby changing station and an elevator to the second floor make the store easy to use for everyone.

  • Feature lighting

    Globe pendants hang from the wavy gold ceiling on the retail floor and over the checkout, while a metal mesh ceiling ornament with glass pendants and track lighting highlight the customization floor.

Design development

Pencil concept sketch of the store interior with arches, a wavy ceiling, globe pendants, shelving and a central counter, with notes on materials (opens full size in a new tab)
Concept sketch: arches, a wavy ceiling and notes on red, wood and white.
Hand-drafted first and second floor plans of the original store layout with an elevator in the middle, dressing rooms, a checkout and a storage room (opens full size in a new tab)
Before: the original hand-drafted floor plans.
Rendered first floor plan with display shelving, tables, a checkout counter, dressing rooms, a stock room and a bathroom (opens full size in a new tab)
Final first floor plan: retail area, checkout and dressing rooms.
Rendered second floor plan with computer stations, a lounge, a curved customization counter, a break room and an office (opens full size in a new tab)
Final second floor plan: customization area, lounge and staff rooms.
Dimensioned CAD floor plans of both floors with labeled rooms and elevation markers (opens full size in a new tab)
Floor plans of both floors, with elevation markers.
Colored section showing the red checkout wall with the M logo and an arched opening with globe pendants, below a break room and office (opens full size in a new tab)
Section through the checkout, with the staff rooms above.
Colored section showing a slatted customization counter with globe pendants above three arched dressing room doors and a bathroom (opens full size in a new tab)
Section through the customization counter and the dressing rooms below.
Colored long section with computer stations and hat displays on the upper floor and arched display walls under a gold ceiling band below (opens full size in a new tab)
Long section: design stations above, retail displays below.
Colored long section with a red lounge and customization counter on the upper floor and the bathroom and retail displays below (opens full size in a new tab)
Long section: the customization lounge above, the bathroom and retail floor below.
Technical elevation of the dressing room hall with three arched red doors, wood trim, a bathroom door and an exit door (opens full size in a new tab)
Dressing room hall: three arched doors with wood trim.
Technical elevation of the bathroom with ADA grab bars, an arched mirror, pendant lights, tile and a terrazzo counter with a baby changing station (opens full size in a new tab)
Accessible bathroom with a terrazzo counter.
Technical elevation of a dressing room with a wall mounted mirror, pendant lights, clothing hooks, an ADA grab bar and a bench (opens full size in a new tab)
Dressing room with an ADA grab bar and bench.
Technical elevation of the slatted checkout counter at ADA height between two arched doorways, with pendant lights above (opens full size in a new tab)
Checkout counter at ADA height between arched doorways.
Technical elevation of the lower west wall with an arched beam, arched display racks and an arched doorway leading to the stairs (opens full size in a new tab)
West stair wall: arched display racks and the doorway to the stairs.
Technical elevation of the lower east retail wall lined with arched display shelves (opens full size in a new tab)
East retail wall: arched display shelving.
Technical elevation of the customization counter with a slatted wall, globe pendants and a metal ceiling ornament (opens full size in a new tab)
Customization counter with a slatted wall and ceiling ornament.
Technical elevation of the customer counter and large crafting counter under a red metal mesh ceiling ornament, beside display shelving (opens full size in a new tab)
East customization wall: customer and crafting counters.
Technical elevation of the upper east wall with supply display shelving and lounge chairs (opens full size in a new tab)
East display wall: supply shelving and the lounge.
Technical elevation of computer desks and a display shelf under a large archway, beside an arched opening (opens full size in a new tab)
Computer station under a large archway.

Renderings

Retail floor seen through a red arch, with wood display shelving, a wavy gold ceiling, globe pendants and the McDonald’s checkout at the back
The retail floor under the wavy gold ceiling.
Red archway opening onto the retail floor, with a display cubby holding red shopping baskets under a gold M logo
Entering through the red arches, with branded basket storage.
Slatted wood checkout counter reading McDonald’s beneath a gold M logo on a wood wall, with globe pendants and an arched exit beyond (opens full size in a new tab)
Checkout with the M logo on a wood-paneled wall.
Hallway of three arched wood dressing room doors with yellow trim, a yellow bench and a Create Your Style poster (opens full size in a new tab)
Dressing rooms with arched doors.
Red-walled customization floor with brand posters, a seated mannequin, yellow chairs on a black rug and the customization counter beyond
The customization floor and lounge.
Curved wood customization counter with red top, checkout stations, sewing and embroidery machines and glass pendants under a gold ceiling ornament (opens full size in a new tab)
Customization counter with sewing and embroidery machines.
Computer design desks with yellow stools under a red arch, beside a lounge with yellow chairs and wood display shelving (opens full size in a new tab)
Design stations under a red arch, beside the lounge.

The result

The finished concept reads as McDonald’s at a glance, yet feels like a clothing boutique: warm wood, sculptural arches and a golden ceiling give the brand a more elevated presence. The two floors work as a sequence, from browsing and trying on downstairs to personalizing pieces upstairs.

The project was carried from concept sketches and hand-drafted plans through CAD floor plans, a full set of elevations, SketchUp sections and final renderings.

floors
2
elevations
12
renderings
7

Project details

Project type
Retail design concept
Year
2026
Services
Concept development, Space planning, Floor plans, Elevations and construction details, SketchUp sections, 3D modeling and rendering
Program
Ensign College

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