McDonald's Ghost Restaurant: Hollywood's Secret Set

0:00On April 23rd, imagine stumbling on a McDonald's in California's city of industry that's looked open since 1978, but never flipped a. Single burger for a paying customer. This spot's been a ghost town for customers, surrounded by 10-foot fences and cameras, all because it's strictly a set for the chain's commercials. Back in 1978, McDonald's dropped $1 million to build this production center so they could shoot ads without shutting down real restaurants and losing sales. Before that, filming at actual spots costs franchise owners $5,000 a day in downtime. Folks who drive up sometimes honk at the drive-through, confused by the realistic look, but no one's inside to help. It's got tweaks like higher ceilings for lights, movable trees and signs, even adjustable gates for shots. Downstairs hides dressing rooms, and there's a full kitchen with friars and grittles ready to go. They say could serve food tomorrow if they flipped. The switch, nearby, they've got an urban style mock up too, perfect for city scenes.

1:03All this sits close to Hollywood, pulling in talent easily, and it's evolved over decades to match changing restaurant designs, keeping those golden. Arches, shining on screen, worldwide.