If you drove through Sedona, Arizona, and suddenly saw a McDonald’s with turquoise arches instead of the familiar golden yellow, you might wonder whether you had found a completely different restaurant.
You haven’t. It really is McDonald’s—and there’s an interesting reason for the unusual color.
The One-of-a-Kind McDonald’s
The restaurant is located in Sedona, Arizona, a city famous for its dramatic red-rock scenery and distinctive Southwestern architecture.
When McDonald’s began developing the Sedona location in the early 1990s, local officials wanted the building and its signage to fit naturally into the surrounding landscape. The traditional bright-yellow arches were considered too visually intrusive.
Instead, the city and McDonald’s worked together on a turquoise color that would better complement the area.
The restaurant opened in May 1993, and the unusual turquoise arches have remained part of its identity ever since.
Why Turquoise?
Sedona has specific design guidelines intended to prevent buildings and signs from overpowering its natural surroundings.
The goal was to make the restaurant blend more comfortably with the red rocks, desert landscape, and Southwestern architectural style rather than stand out with a bright yellow sign. The official Sedona McDonald’s history says the turquoise arches resulted from discussions between the restaurant and city planning officials about matching the surrounding shopping center and local design guidelines.
