Fun Minnesota (Edina) Fact
McDonald’s of Centennial Lakes at France and 76th is home to the “World’s Only Pneumatic Air Drive-Thru.” (It was printed on my receipt).
That’s right - they cook your food, put it in a sack and shoot it underground (through one of those bank teller tubes) to a stand where you’re handed your food.
Does being shot through a tube at 2 mph make a Big Mac any healthier for you on a quick lunch Friday?
No. No it doesn’t.
I’ve always been disappointed that the McDonald’s on University and Rice (or is it Marion?) in St. Paul, which is in what used to be a bank, never utilized the old pneumatic tubes for their drive through.
I would totally drive all the way to this McDonald’s just to see this.
Okay, I did actually drive all the way to this McDonald’s (I was kind of in the neighborhood already). Except that at 9:30 on Saturday night they were closed. I see how it’s set up, though. Very cool. And they have that Mack the Knife set up inside. That was from, what, 15 years ago?
Something like 15 years, yeah. Complete with player piano thingie. Something to see if you happen to be in Edina.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bucLVkXXnBM
More like 20 years ago. Wow. I feel old.
Oh - here’s a photo of another one on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PICT1107.JPG
How do they shoot you your drink order without spilling?