Glass House Restaurant/McDonald's - Vinita, Oklahoma
The McDonald's over the Will Rogers Turnpike is the World's Largest McDonald's.
The 29,135-square-foot McDonald's spans the Will Rogers Turnpike section of Interstate 44 near Vinita, Oklahoma, and is a notable example of a U.S. roadside restaurant.This particular McDonald's was originally built when the turnpike opened in 1957 as one of the "Glass House" restaurants, owned by the now-defunct Interstate Hosts company. The "Glass House" also operated as a Howard Johnson's restaurant at one point. Because of this heritage, it is also known as the Glass House McDonald's and the McDonald's Glass House Restaurant. It shares the space with a Phillips 66 gas station.
The building's architecture is dominated by golden arches on both sides of the building that appear from a distance to be not only the corporate symbol of the chain, but the primary supports for a steel arch bridge structure over the turnpike. Visitors to the eatery exit from either side of the interstate, and then enter through one of the sides and then proceed to the restaurant level via stairs or an elevator.
The building and service plaza closed on June 4, 2013, for a complete renovation. The project is expected to take a year, but will reopen with a McDonald's, Subway, and a rebuilt gas station.
Special thanks to William Bird for the interior overlook image & Brandon for the final image