[BCTed]

Presence of a McDonald's is not an indicator of success, but absence of one is an indicator of failure.

They retreated from downtown Hamilton years ago and have not come back. They left a downtown-ish Ottawa location a couple of years ago for bad reasons as well, but Ottawa still has McDonald's downtown.

I doubt that any other top ten city in Canada in terms of population does not have a McDonald's. People like McDonald's.

 

[Sunnyside]

Did Hamilton ever have a downtown McDonalds? In my experience, they actually have a high bar for entry, particularly for a proper urban format. Better retailers can reflect the cores’ health, but it’s not all about big chains. None of Waterloo’s downtowns have a McD’s either, and it’s fine!

It’s not apples to apples, but besides Union, Toronto only has 2 near the core, and none in the FinDistrict. I only ran into 1 McDonalds in Athens and none in Rome. I know they’re around, but they clearly struggle competing with everything else.

Parm & Piccolo also is just opening now- exactly the kind of high-quality, independent tenant we all desire!

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

There's a time and place for everything. I was once a student who relied on McDonald's coffee and breakfast sandwiches. I would not go to McDonald's today unless it is a last resort option, but that doesn't mean there shouldn't be one readily available as an option.

 

[Hawrylyshyn]

I'm a firm believer that we need a good mix of both local/independent and franchise. People should have as many options as possible (eg. not everyone can afford to always eat at the locally owned places). Cities should offer it all and let people decided where they want to eat. Both options can definitely survive (they do in every other downtown), especially considering the population boom downtown is about to see (/is seeing).

 

[Lachlan Holmes]

Did Hamilton ever have a downtown McDonalds? In my experience, they actually have a high bar for entry, particularly for a proper urban format. Better retailers can reflect the cores’ health, but it’s not all about big chains. None of Waterloo’s downtowns have a McD’s either, and it’s fine!

It’s not apples to apples, but besides Union, Toronto only has 2 near the core, and none in the FinDistrict. I only ran into 1 McDonalds in Athens and none in Rome. I know they’re around, but they clearly struggle competing with everything else.

Parm & Piccolo also is just opening now- exactly the kind of high-quality, independent tenant we all desire!

There was one in Jackson Square for decades until about 8 or 9 years ago. (Before that one, I believe there was one near King and John, but that’s well before my time.) It was across from where the LCBO is currently located, and had street access from where the Yuk Yuk’s was. It was a dump, and a very odd layout with three different floor levels through the restaurant. A few years before they closed, they made the mall side entrance a bit nicer looking but did no renovations to the vast majority of the restaurant. It really was probably the saddest location in the province.

 

[BCTed]

Did Hamilton ever have a downtown McDonalds? In my experience, they actually have a high bar for entry, particularly for a proper urban format. Better retailers can reflect the cores’ health, but it’s not all about big chains. None of Waterloo’s downtowns have a McD’s either, and it’s fine!

It’s not apples to apples, but besides Union, Toronto only has 2 near the core, and none in the FinDistrict. I only ran into 1 McDonalds in Athens and none in Rome. I know they’re around, but they clearly struggle competing with everything else.

Parm & Piccolo also is just opening now- exactly the kind of high-quality, independent tenant we all desire!

Hamilton had a McDonald's at Jackson Square for many years, and at King and John (I think it was John) prior to that.

Toronto did have a McDonald's at one of the TD towers and at Brookfield Place prior to the pandemic. The remaining Union location is immediately adjacent to the Financial District, and there are plenty more locations downtown, including King and Adelaide (also pretty much adjacent) and the Eaton Centre, et cetera, et cetera.

Anyway, happy to put this to bed from my end for now!

 

[innsertnamehere]

Mcdonalds' last streetview was 2015 - so yes, 8 or 9 years now. By 2016 the space is vacant and has remained so until today.

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.com

McDonalds is one of a dozen chain tenants that have left Jackson Square over the last decade. The mall was never particularly high-end but since COVID especially has seen basically every major tenant leave. There is almost nothing but small businesses operating out of the mall at this point.

 

[Chronamut]

There should be room for all. People still do like the chains. And their presence also lends some credibility. For example, it is nutso and a bad sign that downtown Hamilton does not have a single McDonald's.

It did - it was in the king st core across from gore park. Later on it was in jackson where it fronts king close to yuk yuks.

Ah I see someone already posted some pics - well done

here's the one in gore park:

also an example of just how "commercialized" downtown used to be:

wish they'd restore that rowhouse strip (the blue/red one).. half the pediments are gone now.. also look at all the awnings - allowing you to be able to shop in comfort protected from the elements.

Also, chow down at Chik Fil a

 

[BCTed]

Mcdonalds' last streetview was 2015 - so yes, 8 or 9 years now. By 2016 the space is vacant and has remained so until today.

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.com

View attachment 602805

McDonalds is one of a dozen chain tenants that have left Jackson Square over the last decade. The mall was never particularly high-end but since COVID especially has seen basically every major tenant leave. There is almost nothing but small businesses operating out of the mall at this point.

And that set of departures is a bad thing. We can argue that the businesses downtown are salt of the earth, pure goodness, rootin' tootin', down home, mom and pop shops all we like, but the fact that the big names are staying away (for the most part, for now) is just not good.

Welcome Kinton Ramen. Come on in, Chick-fil-A!

 

[Sunnyside]

Mcdonalds' last streetview was 2015 - so yes, 8 or 9 years now. By 2016 the space is vacant and has remained so until today.

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

www.google.com

View attachment 602805

McDonalds is one of a dozen chain tenants that have left Jackson Square over the last decade. The mall was never particularly high-end but since COVID especially has seen basically every major tenant leave. There is almost nothing but small businesses operating out of the mall at this point.

Thanks everyone for the clarification, I was barely starting to venture downtown myself by the time this closed it’s doors. But, this picture jogged my memory a bit- I vaguely remember it now. I just never went inside!

Jackson Square is another beast, it’s pitfalls are deep and will bring on a too-long-winded discussion if we have it here. (Un)luckily for most of us though, it all goes without saying…

 

[Sunnyside]

It did - it was in the king st core across from gore park. Later on it was in jackson where it fronts king close to yuk yuks.

Ah I see someone already posted some pics - well done

here's the one in gore park:

also an example of just how "commercialized" downtown used to be:

wish they'd restore that rowhouse strip (the blue/red one).. half the pediments are gone now.. also look at all the awnings - allowing you to be able to shop in comfort protected from the elements.

Also, chow down at Chik Fil a

Again, not to sidetrack discussion, but it’s an ongoing challenge for a lot of cities to ‘figure out’ small-scale retail/mixed use again.

While there’s an appetite, Toronto doesn’t seem to be in a rush to address the Shoppers-ification of retail. The other cities that tend to have less TO-copied zoning (Hamilton, Kitchener, maybe London?) have their attention elsewhere too. But, I do think we are fairly open to this type of thing in concept.

King William as a whole, including this project, are proof fine-grain is still possible. Small-scale stuff is just really hard today, and I’d like if we change that. It might be a matter of just bringing things to City Planning’s attention.

(Also, we 100% need an easily accessible Hamilton General on UT, given that many SSP members are used to a certain kind of high-level discussions…)

 

[rdaner]

People who eat at McDonald’s are people too!

 

[berklon]

I don't think we necessarily specifically need a McDonalds downtown (although it's popular, so it should be there), but we definitely need more popular fast food chains outside of Jackson Square.
With all the new developments over the last few years, and the ones in progress currently - there has to be a need for them.
I was downtown off of Gore park a few weeks ago and needed something quick and dirty, and it was baffling how limited my choices were less than a 10 minute walk away.

 

[TheHonestMaple]

I don't think we necessarily specifically need a McDonalds downtown (although it's popular, so it should be there), but we definitely need more popular fast food chains outside of Jackson Square.
With all the new developments over the last few years, and the ones in progress currently - there has to be a need for them.
I was downtown off of Gore park a few weeks ago and needed something quick and dirty, and it was baffling how limited my choices were less than a 10 minute walk away.

Not really an issue because I usually lose my appetite pretty quickly when i'm in Gore Park. Last time I was there, I was eating a slice of pizza in the park and saw a man pull down his pants and take a shit in that doorway by the Tim Hortons.

 

[BCTed]

Not really an issue because I usually lose my appetite pretty quickly when i'm in Gore Park. Last time I was there, I was eating a slice of pizza in the park and saw a man pull down his pants and take a shit in that doorway by the Tim Hortons.

Unless it was Tim Horton's pizza, then what's the problem?