AS IT continues to ramp up its developments in Bacolod City, property giant Megaworld Corp. has broke ground for the construction what is poised to become country’s most beautiful McDonald’s inside its 34-hectare township project, The Upper East, in the eastern part of the Negros Occidental capital city that used to be the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company compound.Megaworld’s Senior Assistant Vice President and head of Public Relations and Media Affairs Harold Brian Geronimo, in a media briefing following the groundbreaking Tuesday, May 31, 2022, announced that they are opening Mcdonald’s The Upper East in October 2022 in time for the MassKara Festival celebration.Geronimo said the new McDonald’s store will be surrounded by a landscaped, curated garden that will also serve as an open alfresco dining area, which will be the largest for McDonald’s in the Visayas.“This is another source of pride for the people of Bacolod as there’s so much to brag about,” he said, adding that the two-level Mcdonald’s The Upper East will be another iconic landmark of the city.The 2,200-square meter landscaped garden will be built with a laidback, modern radial design while incorporating classic furniture reminiscent of the Spanish era, with the historic, century-old Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company train as an iconic centerpiece.An extension of the original train will be built to house McDonald’s Dessert Center, which will serve sundaes and drinks.Native tropical plants and flowering trees such as narra, banaba, pitogo, and batino will add the color and feel akin to this Filipino-themed garden.The two-meter-high, tulip-shaped lighted flowers made of fiberglass that look especially beautiful when lit up at night will dot the area to add color and bring a festive feel.“Bacolod City deserves something that is big, something that is beautiful and something that everyone will be proud of,” Geronimo said, adding that this is the second Megaworld-owned McDonald’s in the city next to McDonald’s Forbes Hill along Bacolod-SIlay Airport Access Road at the boundaries of the cities of Bacolod and Talisay.Choice Gourmet Banquet Inc. Is the company that franchises and operates Megaworld-owned McDonald’s stores.Its managing director Eugene Reducindo, who was also at the media briefing, said with the curated garden elements, McDonald’s The Upper East is by far envisioned to be the most beautiful in the country when completed.Other unique highlights and features of the store include contemporary design centering on light and space.McDonald’s The Upper East will greet its guests with a unique enveloped screen piazza exterior façade. It will be highlighted by a large Masskara Wall featuring a giant mask masterpiece of Jojo Vito, a renowned mask maker in Bacolod City.The firm said that upon entering the store, one’s attention will immediately be taken by an eye-catching yellow grand staircase leading to the second floor, in which more seats can be found. With its glass walls and a high ceiling characteristic of the Ray Palette, McDonald’s latest, global standard design scheme that puts emphasis on space and lighting, the store welcomes plenty of natural light during the day and gives off a relaxing vibe. At night, the interior lights up, thanks to well-placed lighting fixtures, it said.The store will also feature its own Collab Room, McDonald’s own version of a conference room equipped with essential facilities needed for meetings.This private meeting room at the second level can accommodate up to 10 persons—a first-of-its-kind for McDonald’s in the entire Visayas and Mindanao, Reducindo said, adding that it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.Moreover, McDonald’s The Upper East will also feature an expansive Bike and Dine Area. Here, cyclists riding to or from their destinations can enjoy their favorite McDonald’s meal without leaving their bicycles.There will also be a Bike Repair and Air Pumping Station, as well as an E-Charging Station for e-bikes and scooters to help riders ensure their bicycles or scooters are in top condition before they go.Megaworld said the establishment will feature the modern NXTGEN facility, namely the Self-Ordering Kiosks (SOK), where customers can order and pay for their food through cash, or credit and debit cards, and claim their order at one of the counters.Meanwhile, there will also be a McCafé with a separate entrance door on the first floor. Guests can polish off their McDonald’s meals with their pick of caffeinated or decaffeinated beverages and pastries.To those who wish to work or simply charge their tablets, smartphones, or laptops, McDonald’s The Upper East will have wireless charging facilities installed at the communal tables and power outlets at the McCafé and the alfresco dining areas, the firm said.Other facilities within the store include a party area for birthday parties and other celebrations, and a lactation room for breastfeeding moms, it said, adding that McDonald’s The Upper East will have a seating capacity of 256 across the store.A first in Negros, McDonald’s The Upper East will also feature a side-by-side (double lane) drive-thru facility that also includes Customer Order Displays.Crew members will be using a Handheld Order-Taking (HHOT) device to take orders from customers right from their vehicles to make the experience even more of a breeze, particularly when there’s a long line.“We are investing a lot for this store because we believe that Bacolod only deserves the best. This is the reason why we are bringing a lot of firsts in every McDonald’s store that we build here,” Reducindo said.Once operational, the store will generate about 100 jobs including those for crew members and managers, he said, adding that they are looking at 24 hours operation.