People Can't Believe This 'Float-Thru' McDonald's Location
Most of us have probably used a fast food drive-thru more than once in our lives. They are a quick, easy, way to order food when you are in a rush or on a long road trip. There is no doubt that convenience is the driving force behind the drive-thru. But for on-the-go visitors in Hamburg, Germany, there is one McDonald's whose novelty definitely trumps its convenience.
The one-of-a-kind McDonald's, located right on the bank of a small canal off the Elbe river, features the world's only "float-thru," according to Mashable. Like a regular drive-through, customers can place their order and have it delivered to them straight to their vehicle. The only difference is that their vehicle is a kayak, and they collect their order while paddling on the water.
The English YouTuber Tom Scott recently made a video documenting his trip to the unique "McBoat," which opened in 2015. "For the majority of people who have eaten at the Golden Arches, well, the experience will be roughly the same wherever you are. That's the point of fast food chains... Well, when I heard that the world's only float-through McDonald's was on a little canal on the Elbe River in Germany, I thought that was probably worth a visit," Scott said.
Customers place their order straight from their boats
According to Mashable and Tom Scott's video, the McBoat is open an impressive 24-hours a day, seven days a week in the spring and summer, although it is closed in the winter months. It features a "float-thru" dock, where boats can sail or paddle up to while they wait to receive their fast food. Although there was once a speaker on the dock, like a typical drive-thru, these days the speaker has been removed, so visitors have to place their order via the McDonald's app on their smartphone (via Design Taxi). After it is prepared, an employee comes out to the dock and delivers the to-go bag straight to their floating customer.
As one can probably imagine, this unique paddle-through McDonald's has certainly generated a good deal of interest, especially in the age of social media. "People are so happy to see this, because they read this or saw this on Instagram, and they come especially for this," manager Adrian Dudziak said in the video. And who can blame them? After all, it's not every day you can say you received your McDonald's order while sitting in a boat.