Justdroppedin
02-04-2023, 12:24 PM
https://i.redd.it/deonjzzkdvfa1.jpg
Op flew to Adak Island, a remote Alaskan island in the north Pacific Ocean, to explore its abandoned US military base. Surprisingly, the base included a McDonald's!
I know what you're thinking – how could a McDonald's be located in such a remote location? More than 6,000 military and civilians lived on Adak during its peak in the 1980s, so an enterprising couple opened the restaurant in July 1986 with assistance from the Navy.
The story of this McDonald's went viral on Twitter in September 2021, prompting past residents to chime in with anecdotes. The former owner's son even created an account to share information! The island, with its 33 permanent residents, became a social media curiosity overnight.
Prices were as high as one might imagine for the remote location. A veteran noted that he paid more than $6.00 for a 20-piece McNugget meal when the restaurant opened. But that didn't stop the restaurant from being packed daily, according to another veteran.
The son recalled that the restaurant closed in 1993 as the Navy gradually decommissioned the base. However, having the restaurant helped them to relocate to Oregon and open two new McDonald's.The 1993 closing date explains the frozen-in-time but faded Jurassic Park and Bobby's World ads on the drive-thru menu.
The viral story led people to believe the restaurant was completely intact, but my host provided more accurate details. He said the kitchen and part of the seating were gutted and altered to make a lunch spot for a few dozen local fish processing plant employees. And all windows and entrances were boarded up in 2018 after, allegedly, vacationing hunters smashed a window.
You'll see more trucks parked at some of the houses by zooming in. They belong to the 33 permanent residents.....
Op flew to Adak Island, a remote Alaskan island in the north Pacific Ocean, to explore its abandoned US military base. Surprisingly, the base included a McDonald's!
I know what you're thinking – how could a McDonald's be located in such a remote location? More than 6,000 military and civilians lived on Adak during its peak in the 1980s, so an enterprising couple opened the restaurant in July 1986 with assistance from the Navy.
The story of this McDonald's went viral on Twitter in September 2021, prompting past residents to chime in with anecdotes. The former owner's son even created an account to share information! The island, with its 33 permanent residents, became a social media curiosity overnight.
Prices were as high as one might imagine for the remote location. A veteran noted that he paid more than $6.00 for a 20-piece McNugget meal when the restaurant opened. But that didn't stop the restaurant from being packed daily, according to another veteran.
The son recalled that the restaurant closed in 1993 as the Navy gradually decommissioned the base. However, having the restaurant helped them to relocate to Oregon and open two new McDonald's.The 1993 closing date explains the frozen-in-time but faded Jurassic Park and Bobby's World ads on the drive-thru menu.
The viral story led people to believe the restaurant was completely intact, but my host provided more accurate details. He said the kitchen and part of the seating were gutted and altered to make a lunch spot for a few dozen local fish processing plant employees. And all windows and entrances were boarded up in 2018 after, allegedly, vacationing hunters smashed a window.
You'll see more trucks parked at some of the houses by zooming in. They belong to the 33 permanent residents.....