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All the United States North Carolina Asheville Biltmore McDonald's
Biltmore McDonald's is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Biltmore McDonald's

Classy up your Big Mac with bow-tied servers and chandeliers at the world's fanciest McDonald's.

Asheville, North Carolina

Added By
Luke Fater
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  NNECAPA Photo Library/CC BY 2.0
  NNECAPA Photo Library/CC BY 2.0
  Luke Fater for Gastro Obscura
  Luke Fater for Gastro Obscura
Player piano still playing away!   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Interior of Biltmore McDonald’s Spring 2024.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  rwilson6789 / Atlas Obscura User
  Luke Fater for Gastro Obscura
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  Luke Fater for Gastro Obscura
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Built in 1895, Asheville’s Biltmore Estate is the largest private home in the United States—by a long shot. The estate is open to the public, drawing in nearly two million tourists annually who wish to take in its bewildering scale (and secrets). It’s no coincidence, then, that the closest McDonald’s is, by some subjective measure, “the world’s fanciest McDonald’s.” But it wasn’t always. Even before it was open for public visitation, the Biltmore employed so many workers that they had a staff village built for them just off the property’s sprawling grounds. Once the Biltmore became a tourist destination, the village then became a retail center, complete with bars, restaurants, clothing stores, and the like. The only catch was that the businesses within the complex still fell under the jurisdiction of the Biltmore Village Historic Resources Commission, who maintained exacting aesthetic standards. In other words, Biltmore administrators sought to ensure that the air of high-society elegance carried on beyond the property’s borders. Enter a new McDonald’s franchise in 2000, built in much the same fashion as any franchise might. The Biltmore Historic Resources Commission was not pleased, and in short order the franchise was renovated to what visitors can see today. The Biltmore McDonald’s octagonal dining room features tables of red oak, wrought iron railings, and luminous chandeliers under a sweeping pressed-tin ceiling, with every wood feature boasting a handsome finish. A baby grand player piano sits in the corner, churning out disembodied tunes you might hear at a fanciful gala, while a gold-leaf mantled fireplace forms the base of a giant stone chimney. And while the food is sourced and prepared as it would be at any McDonald's, the staff who makes it maintain a strict dress code of slacks and a bow-tie. It’s fast-food meets forced-fanciful. Update December 2024: This location was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene and is indefinitely closed.

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Architecture Beautiful Fast Food Fast Food Mcdonalds

Community Contributors

Added By

lukefater

Edited By

veronicajaennking, rwilson6789, decoytonsil, blimpcaptain...

  • veronicajaennking
  • rwilson6789
  • decoytonsil
  • blimpcaptain
  • wherearewedude

Published

March 11, 2022

Updated

December 11, 2024

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Sources
  • https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2025/01/14/ashevilles-fancy-mcdonalds-to-return-after-being-destroyed-by-helene/77666908007/
  • https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65298/13-most-unexpected-mcdonalds-locations-around-world
  • https://www.dw.com/en/the-business-of-owning-americas-biggest-home/:~:text=The%20Biltmore%20Estate%20in%20North,House%20is%20a%20surreal%20experience.
Biltmore McDonald's
35 Hendersonville Rd
Asheville, North Carolina, 28803
United States
35.567477, -82.544412
Get Directions

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