Current:Home > ScamsVideo shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene -Capitatum
Video shows 'world's fanciest' McDonald's, complete with grand piano, gutted by Helene
TradeEdge View
Date:2025-04-06 09:17:45
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
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- North Korean and Russian officials discuss economic ties as Seoul raises labor export concerns
- Cyclone Jasper is expected to intensify before becoming the first of the season to hit Australia
- Kate Cox sought an abortion in Texas. A court said no because she didn’t show her life was in danger
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Jennifer Aniston says she was texting with Matthew Perry the morning of his death: He was happy
- How to watch 'The Amazing Race' Season 35 finale: Date, time, finalists, what to know
- Lawsuit challenges Alabama inmate labor system as ‘modern day slavery’
- Giants, Lions fined $200K for fights in training camp joint practices
- US credibility is on the line in Ukraine funding debate
Ranking
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- New Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is sworn in with his government
- Virginia sheriff’s office says Tesla was running on Autopilot moments before tractor-trailer crash
- Lose Yourself in This Video of Eminem's Daughter Hailie Jade Celebrating Her 28th Birthday
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- The pope says he wants to be buried in the Rome basilica, not in the Vatican
- NFL power rankings Week 15: How high can Cowboys climb after landmark win?
- Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: 15 players to start or sit in Week 15
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Pew survey: YouTube tops teens’ social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly
Pew survey: YouTube tops teens’ social-media diet, with roughly a sixth using it almost constantly
Zara says it regrets ad that critics said resembled images from Gaza
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
How the presidents of Harvard, Penn and MIT testified to Congress on antisemitism
Anna Chickadee Cardwell, reality TV star from Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, dies at 29
Horoscopes Today, December 12, 2023