Are the Golden Arches really the Golden Arches if they’re turquoise? And no, that isn’t a Dr. Seuss riddle. One McDonald’s location in Sedona, Arizona swapped out its bright yellow arches for a pair of turquoise blue ones, and wait, is that allowed?
Before diving into the research, our theory was that the Sedona location is just some sort of knock-off McDonald’s, and in order to avoid trademark infringement, the owners made their arches blue instead of yellow. That would make for a funny set for sitcom, but that’s not the case here.
The color swap was actually initiated for purely aesthetic reasons. Sorry — no shadiness to report here.
In 1993, when the Sedona McDonald’s location was being built, city officials were concerned that the Golden Arches would clash with the gorgeous Arizona landscape. They considered it a shame to plague the vast expanse of red rock with a giant yellow M. So, they decided to make their town’s Golden Arches less golden and more blue to help the signage blend in with the restaurant’s surroundings.
Ironically, the turquoise arches have become somewhat of a Sedona landmark, and tourists love to take pictures with the M that is supposed to be one with the scenery.
Other than the peculiar sign, this McDonald’s is like any other — Big Macs, McFlurries, and all. If you find yourself in Sedona, Arizona, keep an eye out for the turquoise arches, snap a pic, and pretend like you’re eating McDonald’s on another planet. We could totally see futuristic Neptune McDonald’s restaurants sporting this look.
