It is still a fast-food joint, after all

In the battle between Jose’ Bove’, the French antiglobalism activist, and his be^te noire, McDonald’s, there’s no question that the fast-food giant emerged victorious.

Today, France has effectively declared its love for Le Big Mac, becoming the No. 2 McDonald’s consumer in the world.

To be fair, McDo–as the French call it–has changed things up to woo discerning customers:

It sources most of its ingredients from French farmers and recently introduced 130 McCafe’s featuring espresso and pastries (we’re talking macarons here, not deep-fried apple pies). And now, it’s even classing up its interiors, with the help of Paris-based designer Patrick Norguet.

The new identity is an attempt to recast McDo as a family restaurant, rather than a teenage hangout–which Norguet describes as a literal and metaphorical return to the chain’s roots.

Pieces of birch plywood branch out to create shelving and distinct areas for different social functions and moods. A lone teen can eat standing up, while a family may grab a more private alcove equipped with a digital ordering terminal.

“Henceforth,” the press release reads, “a mother can settle with her offspring at a table, order from a nearby terminal and wait for the meals to be brought to the table.”

The design was given a trial run at an outpost in Villefranche-de-Lauragais, and six other locations are currently in the works.
The new look might even give a McDonald’s-rampaging Bove’ reason to pause.

But probably not for long; despite its contemporary sheen, it’s still a fast-food joint, after all.