Massive Times Square McDonalds Closes, Company Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Fast food giant McDonald's closed one of its most notable stores on 42nd Street in Times Square on Tuesday, a company spokesperson said.

The former McDonald's flagship location on West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenue served up its final orders of big macs and fries this week, the fast food chain announced Wednesday. Company leadership decided to axe the behemoth four-story, 17,500-square-foot store even before the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on New York City's economy.

"McDonald’s reviews its restaurant portfolio on a regular basis to make the best decisions for our business moving forward. The closing of the 42nd Times Square restaurant, which was planned before the pandemic, was a difficult decision, and allows us to focus on serving customers a few blocks away at the new flagship McDonald’s on 45th and Broadway and in the neighboring communities," a McDonald's spokesman said in a statement.

With New York City's tourism industry floundering, Midtown offices empty and Broadway theaters shuttered it's unlikely the West 42nd Street location saw much recent business.

New York City entered phase two of its reopening Monday just two weeks after being cleared for phase one activities such as curbside retail and construction. New York City was the last region in the state to begin its economic recovery from coronavirus after suffering through one of the worst outbreaks anywhere in the world.