LOS ANGELES -- The McDonald's Corp., the nation's fast-food giant, has applied for a license to sell wine and beer at one of its California stores, the first attempt in the United States to put booze under the Golden Arches, it was learned Thursday.
Spokesman Steve Leroy said in an interview from McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., that the owner of the chain's store in the Sierra resort community of Mammoth applied this week for the proper state liquor license.
'Basically, the application was made in Mammoth because of the unique demographics in the area,' Leroy said. 'It's an adult recreation location and a large number of tourists are in the area.'
Leroy said 'there are no implications at this time' that the same service might be offered at the chains other 6,000 restaurants nationwide.
'It's not going to be experimental,' he said. 'It's our intention to take care of that area and the people who go through that restaurant.
'There is no similar service in the McDonald's in the United States, but outside the U.S. we have served both beer and wine in our restaurants in Germany and France since we began operations in those countries.'
Leroy said wine and beer in all restaurants is the norm in the European nations.
'Young children grow up in an environment where they are just other drinks, as we drink milk, water and Coke here,' he said.
Leroy said he expected public reaction in Mammoth to be enthusiastic in the initial stages.
'Then, like anything else, people will get use to it,' he said.
'If they want it, it's there. If not, they can drink any of the other beverages.'
Officials at the firm's major competitors were not immediately available for comment.
