Fast food consumers are well acquainted with McDonald’s two drive-thru windows for exchanging payment and receiving food, but the next time they slowly accelerate away after getting their McDouble and nuggets, a newly installed third window will treat them to a brief yet revealing glance at Grimace’s remarkably modest day-to-day existence. The spartan furnishings of the purple monster’s bedroom will no doubt astonish customers who expected French fry-themed chandeliers and fountains with Greek goddesses pouring endless milkshakes from urns, but the serene calm on Grimace’s face as he contents himself tending to a single potted ficus will quickly turn that surprise into a deep and abiding appreciation of his boundless humility.
Grimace’s bedroom is a far cry from the marble floors and Central Park views of Ronald McDonald’s ostentatious Manhattan penthouse, or the heart-shaped jacuzzis and mirrored ceilings of the Hamburglar’s Hollywood Hills pleasure palace, but it’s certainly not run-down by any stretch of the imagination either. Grimace keeps his space clean and well-maintained, and drive-thru customers can frequently expect to see him spreading up his twin mattress with fresh linens or performing some light carpentry to fix a stubborn drawer on his unfinished pine dresser. Grimace’s abode is so plain and unassuming that even the briefest glance through the new drive-thru window will be enough time to catalog its contents in full, though it still has an undeniably cozy charm thanks to two tastefully displayed pieces of hanging wall art—an understated watercolor of a Big Mac Combo Meal with medium fries and Coca Cola, and a framed photograph of his legal guardian, Ronald McDonald.
You’d never guess that this simple bedroom belongs to the mascot of a multi-billion dollar company, but Grimace knows how to defy expectations.
“Grimace’s down-to-earth temperament and lack of pretension are a constant inspiration to all McDonald’s employees, and we’ve decided to give our customers a chance to see his quiet grace for themselves,” said McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski, adding that while Grimace will often be present in the room, he may occasionally have to pop out to rake leaves for an elderly neighbor or return a library book. “The next time you slowly drive away with your takeout order, we hope our new drive-thru window will remind you that true wealth is determined not by the lavishness of one’s bedroom, but by the fullness of one’s soul.”
Wow, it’s so cool to get a look behind the scenes like this. Kudos to McDonald’s for letting us join in on admiring Grimace’s humble yet dignified way of life!
