The Other Main Street McDonald's

[IronTiger]

Recently I read in a topic about a particularly dirty McDonald's (demolished c. 2003-2004) at Texas and Main, in the parking lot just northeast to where Flying Saucer is. The only reference I can find to it in the papers are these snippets.

 

Colbert recalled that when he moved to Houston, he was surprised to learn that a 20-story medical building at Main and Texas was being demolished to make way for aMcDonald's . 

"That wouldn't happen today (downtown)," he said. "We're preserving more of our heritage than we did and creating a more diverse set of lifestyle options in the city." 

In the Texas Medical Center, however, the battle continues. Preservationists are trying to convince officials at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to save the old Prudential Building at 1100 Holcombe. Officials want to tear down the post-World War II office building to make way for a cluster of four clinical buildings and two garages.

(from 2002--the Prudential Building would be flattened in a little less than a decade)

Was it so bad that it was shut down by the parent company, or what?

[Subdude]

A 20-story medical building wasn't demolished for that McDonalds.  The medical building was a few blocks over at Rusk and Caroline.  It was literally falling apart and was replaced by a parking lot. 

 

The site of the Main at Texas McDonalds was previously some old two-story retail properties as I recall.  It was unfortunate, but that was before much of the renovation of downtown had begun.  The location was later to be the site of residential development called the Shamrock that, like a lot of others, didn't happen because of the financial crisis.  As far as I know the McDonalds was torn down to make way when the land was sold to the Shamrock developers.  

 

All's well that ends well, however, as this will be the site of Hines new 609 Main tower.  

 

[JLWM8609]

I remember passing by it in the early 90s when I was young kid. It looked VERY dingy.

[Howard Huge]

I used to eat breakfast there all the time in the early 90's.

I wouldnt say it was any worse than any other inner city micky d's. (Shrugs shoulders)

[sinister1]

I remember going to a McDonalds on Main St. Downtown but not the one that sits there now on the corner by it's self; the one I remember was in a building and it had a second floor upstairs and the walls were painted clouds. Is this the one you guys are talking about? I also remember a round Burger King downtown, does anyone remember that?

[IronTiger]

I remember going to a McDonalds on Main St. Downtown but not the one that sits there now on the corner by it's self; the one I remember was in a building and it had a second floor upstairs and the walls were painted clouds.

 

We are talking about one that sat on Main and Capitol, catty-corner to the Rice Hotel/Rice Lofts.

[Subdude]

The "round Burger King", was that at the Humble Building/Springhill Suites across from Foley's?

 

[readam]

Don't know if this one  was mentioned earlier but the McDonalds on Richmond near Main on land behind the old Delman theatre...it's gone too

[sinister1]

We are talking about one that sat on Main and Capitol, catty-corner to the Rice Hotel/Rice Lofts.

I know that one but for some reason I remember and earlier one than that, I could have swore that it was inside a building  and not a stand alone place. It's been so long ago, I also remember there being a pink puppy cat and a chirps in the same area.

The "round Burger King", was that at the Humble Building/Springhill Suites across from Foley's?

 

It would be cool if we could find pics.

[IronTiger]

I know that one but for some reason I remember and earlier one than that, I could have swore that it was inside a building and not a stand alone place. It's been so long ago, I also remember there being a pink puppy cat and a chirps in the same area.

If I mentioned "McDonald's Town House", does that jog any more memories?

[Purpledevil]

Never heard of the McDonald's townhouse, but we used to call the one on Post Oak just off the West Loop "The McMansion". Biggest McDonald's I had ever seen in my life back then. Two stories and all.

I certainly remember the old burger shaped Burger King on Main. Can't for the life of me remember exactly where it was, but it was near Sakowitz and Foley's.

[Houston19514]

The "round Burger King", was that at the Humble Building/Springhill Suites across from Foley's?

 

Yes. That is correct.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Houston19514

[IronTiger]

Never heard of the McDonald's townhouse, but we used to call the one on Post Oak just off the West Loop "The McMansion". Biggest McDonald's I had ever seen in my life back then. Two stories and all.

There was a building at Post Oak and Hidalgo built in the 1970s, modified sometime between 1989 and 1995, and torn down between 2004-2005.

I believe I've found the opening of this mega McDonald's in the Houston Chronicle.

Overgrown arches engender ill will - Businessmen protest McDonald's sign

Houston Chronicle - Saturday, FEBRUARY 18, 1989

Readability: >12 grade level (Lexile: 1310L)

Author: JOHN WILLIAMS: Staff

A sign erected atop what is billed as the largest McDonald's restaurant in the state is creating a Texas-sized headache for the hamburger chain in Houston's gleaming Galleria area.

At least three civic groups and hundreds of irate businessmen in the Galleria- Post Oak area are complaining that the sign conflicts with their 5-year effort to keep advertising unobtrusive.

The groups have written letters to McDonald's officials and protested at City Hall. But the sign still stands, looming 44 feet above the ground. The rooftop location was suggested by city officials as a way to meet restrictive sign laws in the area.

Opponents now are going to ask Houston City Council to rewrite the city's sign ordinance to prohibit similar signs in the future.

``Ronald McDonald would be embarrassed and ashamed about this,'' said Louis Sklar, an official with the local sign watchdog organization Billboards Limited.

The controversial ``golden arches'' were erected on top of a two-story, 10,000-square-foot fast-food restaurant the company plans to open in early March in the 1400 block of Post Oak.

[snipped for © reasons]

[IronTiger]

OK, I must be wrong, because I stumbled upon this, so the structure I was looking at just south of the Hampton Retirement tower was NOT the McDonald's discussed here. This was demolished just in the last couple of years.

No wonder I couldn't find anything in the old archives about it being razed.

Edited January 4, 2014 by IronTiger

[ArchFan]

The "round Burger King", was that at the Humble Building/Springhill Suites across from Foley's?

 

 

Yes. That is correct.

 

Are you guys referring to the oval-shaped building on the corner?  From my long-distant childhood, I remember that building being (maybe in the 60s-70s) a ticketing office for Braniff Airways. 

[Purpledevil]

The link you posted to yelp is/was the McMansion, Irontiger. It was quite a sight when it first opened and very modern for its time. It made television news as well as the Chronicle and the Post's coverage of the event. I had stopped by a couple of times before it shut down and didn't find the service or the food exceptional. Hadn't been over that way in awhile, though. Have they built something else on the pad, or is it a vacant lot?

[Purpledevil]

Never mind, they've replaced it. Well, that kind of sucks. As far as building uniqueness, wasn't that the only double decker McDonald's? Wish they'd have gutted the original structure and started over with the skeleton.

[IronTiger]

Never mind, they've replaced it. Well, that kind of sucks. As far as building uniqueness, wasn't that the only double decker McDonald's? Wish they'd have gutted the original structure and started over with the skeleton.

In Houston, or anywhere? What was strange to me that it seemed relatively modern on the inside. There's a McDonald's in Bastrop that I remember visiting in 2004--it was recently renovated and had a new red color scheme, Blue Bell ice cream, a fireplace in the center...I wouldn't be surprised if it's already razed and rebuilt already...(sigh)

[Michelle C]

I remember the old locally family owned McDonalds on the corner of Main and Gray street across the street from the bus station. It was a drive in. It kept the McDonalds chain out of Houston for many years. The McDonalds chain finally bought their name and the property at Main and Gray and built the first Chain McDonalds in the city of Houston.

[IronTiger]

And that would make sense, since that McD's was built from the ground up in 2000, one of the first rebuilds of old 70s stores (the first two McD's locally were torn out and rebuilt some time ago)

[IronTiger]

Finally, one more thing, what about the third McDonald's at 4510 Main? Apparently, it was demolished in 2005, and may be used for METRO projects (just guessing) but what was the story to that one?

Edited July 9, 2014 by IronTiger

[Purpledevil]

Are you sure on that address, IronTiger? 4500 block should be right in front of Christ the King. I think the Mickey D's you're referring to is the one at North Freeway and N. Main. It is on the corner of Houston Avenue. I believe it was around 10 years ago that the old McDonald's was demoed and replaced with a more modern one. That would fit with your demolition timeline of 2005. I can assure you, if that's the location you're talking about, it's still very much there.

[IronTiger]

Nope, 4510 Main, right next to ANOTHER former Holiday/Days Inn.

[Purpledevil]

Ah, well silly me, lol. You specifically said Main and I registered it as North Main in my head.

Its been one of those days...

Sorry.

[Purpledevil]

Ok, looking at your map this was the Mickey D's next to the old Delman and across from Prince's old South Main location at Wheeler.

It was 2005 when this one came down? I thought it was earlier than that. The light rail came through this area in '01-02, right? Was the Delman still standing when the rail was laid and began operation? I thought all of this land around Sears was cleared away in preparation of building the Wheeler station. Whatever plans the land owners had for the land, they were apparently in no hurry to execute them.

[IronTiger]

Ok, looking at your map this was the Mickey D's next to the old Delman and across from Prince's old South Main location at Wheeler.

It was 2005 when this one came down? I thought it was earlier than that. The light rail came through this area in '01-02, right? Was the Delman still standing when the rail was laid and began operation? I thought all of this land around Sears was cleared away in preparation of building the Wheeler station. Whatever plans the land owners had for the land, they were apparently in no hurry to execute them.

It was still standing in April 2004, four months after the light rail officially began operation. By October 2005 it was gone. The Delman was wrecked between December 2002 and January 2003 (thanks to GE images). The block to the southwest of Sears seems to have been done away with earlier in 2002.