A time-lapse video captures the largest McDonald's in the world being erected in what used to be an empty plot of land at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The YouTube video is the culmination of three years of planning led by French designer Philippe Avanzi and captures the evolution of the building's development from skeletal frame to a two-storey restaurant that spans 3,000 square meters or 32,290 square feet.
The Olympic-sized eatery is expected to serve 1.75 million meals over 29 days of the Olympic and Paralympic Games -- the largest peacetime catering operation in Britain, says McDonald's. It seats 1,500 people inside, and 70 seats on the second floor balcony, which gives diners a view of the Olympic Athletic Stadium.
Once the games are over, McDonald's claims 75 percent of the materials used for construction will be reused and recycled to be distributed to future and existing restaurants in the UK.
The menu will include McDonald's regulars such as Big Macs, and Chicken McNuggets, as well as porridge, bagels, wraps, salads and fruit juices. For the first time at any Olympic Games, the restaurants will offer Happy Meals along with fruit and vegetable options.
Meanwhile, the recurring controversy over the Olympic sponsorship of McDonald's and Coca-Cola arose again this week, after the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge was quoted in several British media outlets for questioning the role of fast food and junk food in the Olympics, given the rising obesity epidemic.
On Tuesday, Rogge spoke out to clarify his statements, telling Reuters that both companies embody the spirit of the Olympic Games for their "creative and engaging global programs that promote physical activity."
Watch the time-lapse video at http://bit.ly/MXfAI6.
