BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The “Philippines’ Most Beautiful McDonalds” as described by property giant Megaworld, is soon to rise inside its 34-hectare township “The Upper East”.
Harold Brian Geronimo, Megaworld Senior Assistant Vice President for Public Relations and Media Affairs, yesterday said the new McDonalds store is being targeted to open during the MassKara Festival.
Geronimo said that the new McDonald’s store will be surrounded by a landscaped, curated garden that will also serve as an open alfresco dining area, will be the largest for McDonald’s in the entire Visayas.
The 2,200-square meter landscaped garden will be built with a laidback, modern radial design while incorporating classic furniture reminiscent of the Spanish era, with the historic, century-old BMMC (Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company) train as an iconic centerpiece.
An extension of the original train will be built to house McDonald’s Dessert Center, which will serve sundaes and drinks. Native tropical plants and flowering trees such as narra, banaba, pitogo, and batino will add the color and feel akin to this Filipino-themed garden.
Two-meter-high, tulip-shaped lighted flowers made of fiber glass that look especially beautiful when lit up at night will dot the area to add color and bring a festive feel, according to Eugene Reducindo, managing director of Choice Gourmet Banquet, Inc., the company that franchises and operates Megaworld owned McDonald’s stores.
“This is the largest al fresco dining area for McDonald’s in the whole of Visayas, and with this curated garden elements, it is by far envisioned to be the most beautiful in the country when completed,” Reducindo said.
McDonald’s The Upper East will greet its guests with a unique enveloped screen piazza exterior façade, which will l be highlighted by a large Masskara Wall featuring a giant mask masterpiece of Jojo Vito, Bacolod’s most renowned mask maker, he added
Reducindo also reported that the McDonald’s The Upper East will also feature an expansive Bike and Dine Area, with cyclists riding to or from their destinations can enjoy their favorite McDonald’s meal without leaving their bicycles.
There will also be a Bike Repair and Air Pumping Station, as well as an E-Charging Station for e-bikes and scooters to help riders ensure their bicycles or scooters are in top condition before they go, he added.
McDonald’s Upper East also features the modern NXTGEN facility, namely the Self-Ordering Kiosks (SOK), where customers can order and pay for their food through cash, or credit and debit cards, and claim their order at one of the counters.
To those who wish to work or simply charge their tablets, smartphones, or laptops, McDonald’s The Upper East will have wireless charging facilities installed at the communal tables and power outlets at the McCafé and the alfresco dining areas.
FIRST-OF-A-KIND
A first in Negros, McDonald’s The Upper East will also feature a Side-by-Side (Double Lane) Drive-Thru facility that also includes Customer Order Displays. Crew members will be using a Handheld Order-Taking (HHOT) device to take orders from customers right from their vehicles to make the experience even more of a breeze, particularly when there’s a long line.
“Our target is to open this new McDonald’s store just in time for Masskara Festival in October. We are investing a lot for this store because we believe that Bacolod only deserves the best. This is the reason why we are bringing a lot of firsts in every McDonald’s store that we build here,” Reducindo.
McDonald’s The Upper East, which has a seating capacity of 256 across the store, will be Megaworld’s second McDonald’s store in Negros Occidental.*
