There isn’t that much to say about the Racecourse McDonald’s except that it’s open and it’s a McDonald’s. It’s the same as any other McDonald’s except it’s in the newly refurbished Colombo Racecourse grounds.
People have complained about the juxtaposition of this colonial architecture and the commercial golden arches for a while, but it’s actually not a terrible thing. The place is full of people and families and stuff and they don’t seem to be dying from gentrification.
What sort of a McDonald’s is it? Honestly, when I walked in I felt like asking for their special cause the Racecourse is a special place. But, of course, there is no special, unless you include the Rs. 330 McRice, which any Sri Lankan McD also has. The food is exactly the same, most value packages clocking in at around Rs. 500.
The location, however, is special. They’ve made it look rather generic and post-mortem post-modern, but there’s still a view of the rugby grounds out back and seating on the cobblestones outsides which, outside of traffic times, is relatively peaceful.
Is this the McDonald’s the best use of the iconic grounds? Perhaps not, but is a reason for many families to visit them, which can’t be all bad.
