Current:Home > MyVideo shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene -Zenith Investment School
Video shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene
Charles Langston View
Date:2025-04-09 04:54:14
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! (7)
Related
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- No one hurt when CSX locomotive derails and strikes residential garage in Niagara Falls
- How well does the new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser cruise on pavement?
- Wildfires in California, Utah prompt evacuations after torching homes amid heat wave
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Vice President Kamala Harris leads list of contenders for spots on the Democratic ticket
- Sam Smith Shares They Were Unable to Walk After Skiing Accident
- Peak global population is approaching, thanks to lower fertility rates: Graphics explain
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Former U.S. Rep. Henry Nowak, who championed western New York infrastructure, dies at 89
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- On a summer Sunday, Biden withdrew with a text statement. News outlets struggled for visuals
- Nashville-area GOP House race and Senate primaries top Tennessee’s primary ballot
- Emily in Paris Season 4 Trailer Teases Emily Moving On From The Gabriel-Alfie Love Triangle
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Pepper, the cursing bird who went viral for his foul mouth, has found his forever home
- Emotional Baseball Hall of Fame speeches filled with humility, humor, appreciation
- FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims around Kamala Harris and her campaign for the White House
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Billy Joel on the 'magic' and 'crazy crowds' of Madison Square Garden ahead of final show
Stock market today: Asian shares fall after Wall St ends worst week; Biden withdraw from 2024 race
Eva Mendes' Ultimate Self-Care Hack May Surprise You
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
A gunman has killed 6 people including his mother at a nursing home in Croatia, officials say
LSU cornerback Javien Toviano arrested, faces video voyeurism charges
Yordan Alvarez hits for cycle, but Seattle Mariners move into tie with Houston Astros