Vintage photos show what it was like to eat at McDonald’s in the 1980s

Architect Stanley Meston designed the original look for McDonald’s restaurants, which featured a red-and-white color scheme. When the McDonald brothers first saw the design for their new restaurant, they were concerned that the roof was too flat.

Meston recommended adding the now-iconic golden arches to the building’s roof to create a more dimensional look.

A location in Downey, California, is the oldest still-operating restaurant featuring the original red-and-white design.

This London restaurant, pictured in 1985, looks remarkably similar to today’s urban McDonald’s restaurants. 

With its wooden tables and benches, this outdoor courtyard bears little resemblance to most modern McDonald’s dining areas. Still, some restaurants remain in historic buildings.

The first McDonald’s in Australia opened in 1971, and the number of locations in the country grew significantly throughout the 1980s. The company’s 900th location worldwide opened in Sydney in 1986.

There are still surprising, unique McDonald’s restaurants around.

Today, employees often wear T-shirts that reflect the chain’s current promotions.

For McDonald’s customers in the 1980s, the restaurant was a symbol of America, a theme that translated into the chain’s advertising campaigns. 

In honor of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, McDonald’s introduced the slogan “If the US wins, you win.” With every purchase, McDonald’s customers received a scratch-off ticket that revealed a certain sporting category.

The New York Times reported that if a US Olympian won gold in that category, they could exchange the ticket for a free Big Mac. A silver earned you free french fries, and a bronze medal won customers a free Coke.

The Tuscaloosa News reported that customers were caught off guard when Reagan made an unplanned stop at an Alabama McDonald’s restaurant in 1984.

“The President of the United States ordered a Big Mac, a large order of fries, and sweet tea, proffered a $20 bill from his right front pant pocket, got his $17.54 in change, and looked around for a place to enjoy his meal,” a reporter on the scene later wrote in 2006. 

When asked about the last time he had eaten at McDonald’s, Reagan replied that it was before he “got this job.”

“But I kind of miss it sometimes,” he continued. “I figured as long as I had the opportunity, I might as well take advantage of it and stop.”