There's one place in the world where McDonald's arches aren't yellow — they're bright blue (2024)

• "The Golden Arches" make spotting a McDonald's very easy.
• There's one McDonald's that ditched the famous yellow color for a turquoise logo.
• Sedona, Arizona opted for bright blue because it was believed the yellow color would clash with the surrounding red rocks.

The bright yellow letter M for McDonald’s has to be one of the most recognizable logos in the entire world. It adorns McDonald’s restaurants across the globe, to the point where “The Golden Arches” has become all but synonymous with McDonald’s itself. (Did you knowMcDonald’s actually isn’t the biggest fast food chain in the world, though?)

However, there’s one McDonald’s that forgoes that famous yellow color in its logo in favor of a light bluish-green. In Sedona, Arizona, the only arches you’ll see are turquoise!

Don’t worry, there’s a reason for the color change—and it’s pretty funny. The city of Sedona, located in the center of Arizona, is famous for its stunning natural beauty—namely,its mountainous landscape of red rock. Because of said landscape, there are rules in place for buildings in Sedona, to make sure that no structure intrudes too much on the surrounding natural scenery. When the McDonald’s was built there in 1993, city officials believed that a bright yellow M would do just that. They claimed that gold would clash with the surrounding red rocks, and opted for a more pleasing, soft blue. You read that right—the arches are blue because gold didn’t match the city’s (natural) decor.

Whatever the reason, though, the color-change certainly makes this McDonald’s stand out. In fact, these unique not-so-golden arches have become an essential tourist destination for Sedona travelers. (Here are somemore must-see unusual restaurants around the world.)

In every way besides the giant M, though, this McDonald’s is just like any other—full of guilty-pleasure burgers, Happy Meals, and addictive fries. By the way, this isthe real reason McDonald’s fries are so delicious!

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