This McDonald's in Vienna, Austria would have to qualify as one of the nicest ones out there - looking more like a lux hotel in the reception area than a fast food spot.

Our German language content partners at Munich-based Invidis have an interesting post up today about a flagship store in downtown Vienna that most definitely breaks the QSR cliche. The biggest differentiator is a very large fine pitch LED video wall at a reception counter, which in itself is more than a little different from any Mickey D's I've wandered into.

The post notes the store at Mariahilfer Strasse 85, which opened earlier this year, has a spacious foyer, suspended ceiling lights, a receptionist, a counter with daily newspapers and a bouquet of flowers. It has 500 seats, making it the largest in Austria.

The full post has a pile of photos, but here's a summary of this very ambitious store ...

The spacious area in the middle of the central Mariahilf district in Vienna has little in common with an ordinary McDonald's franchise in the city center. Instead of low ceilings, tightly packed tables and shrill colors, everything here seems more elegant and spacious. A central design element are the hanging ceiling lights. They change their colors continuously, oscillating between warm orange and red tones. The program on the screen is varied and gives a foretaste of the interior: Sometimes McDonald's employees wave the guests into the restaurant, sometimes the screen gives a tour through the restaurant, sometimes burgers are stacked.