At last count, there were more than 36,000 McDonald's restaurants in the world. But the McDonald's in Sedona is one of a kind.
There's perhaps no more recognizable brand than the McDonald's "Golden Arches." At the Sedona McDonald's, those arches are turquoise (or teal green, or jade, depending on whom you ask).
And while this deviation from the norm has spurred all sorts of theories about building codes and city ordinances, the truth is a little less exciting, according to a news report from a few years back.
It's hard to imagine today, but Sedona wasn't even incorporated as a city until 1988. The McDonald's franchise came along a few years later, when the city was still firming up its building and signage restrictions. The franchise owner worked with the city on the look of the restaurant; since the shopping center next to it featured turquoise signage, the color was a natural fit for the McDonald's.
The fast-food stop opened in May 1993 and has become a minor tourist attraction, with visitors posting photos of "the world's only Turquoise Arches" to social media. And you have to admit, turquoise goes a lot better with Sedona's stunning red-rock views than yellow would.
You can see the unique McDonald's for yourself at 2380 W. State Route 89A in Sedona. And while most of us at Arizona Highways enjoy a Big Mac every now and then, we'd recommend Elote Café, Red Rock Café or one of Sedona's other great local restaurants first.