Long Island suburbs contain many contemporary “McMansions,” but this historic home in New Hyde Park gives that term a whole new meaning. There’s a literal McDonald’s inside! The fast food chain converted the home into a restaurant in the 1980s. It is often referred to as “The Most Beautiful McDonald’s in America.”
The home has been approximately restored—at least on the exterior—to what it looked like in the 1920s. Black shutters (they used to be blue) accent the white facade. Customers enter through a grand door topped with a fanlight and flanked by two benches. A circular gazebo on the right side of the porch has been encased in glass for inside seating. And of course, there is a drive-thru.
Inside, a double staircase leads to additional second-floor seating. Neutral gray and white walls, faux wood floors and tables, metal chairs, and exposed beams beneath the vaulted ceiling give the space a modern farmhouse vibe. Though pleasant, it’s not quite the glamorous Gold Coast aesthetic you might imagine this home had a hundred years ago during the Jazz Age. The restaurant underwent a makeover in recent years—the interior looks much different than in these photos from 2012.
It is believed that some parts of the home date back to 1795 when it was originally constructed as a farmhouse for Joseph Denton, a descendant of the Town of Hempstead’s founder Richard Denton. According to George Williams, a local historian who spoke to the New York Times about the home’s history, that initial farmhouse was likely expanded and modified over the years to form the house we see today. That would explain all of the conflicting years given for when the house was built. Town records date the structure to 1843 while a plaque on the restaurant wall noting the site’s landmark status says circa 1875. A photo of the home hanging on the wall says it was built in the 1920s.
After the Dentons moved out, the house was used for various commercial purposes. A funeral home and two other restaurants reportedly operated out of the lower floors before McDonald’s moved in. When the fast food corporation purchased the home in 1985, local preservationists weren’t happy.
At the time of purchase, the home was in a sad state of disrepair. McDonald’s planned to tear it down. Local outcry and passionate campaigning led to the structure earning landmark status in 1988. After restoration work and the construction of a drive-thru at the back of the house, the McDonald’s restaurant opened in 1991.
The Denton estate isn’t the only historic mansion McDonald’s has converted into a fast food joint. You can also find “McMansions” in Maine, Ohio, North Carolina, and other locations around the world. But we think ours is the prettiest!
Nicole Saraniero is the Insider-in-Chief at Untapped New York, leading our Untapped New York Insiders membership program. Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Televis
