McDonald’s is no stranger to controversy. The American multinational fast food chain is regularly subject to global boycotts and frequently finds itself at the centre of far-fetched conspiracy theories. And it’s not hard to guess why that is. After all, McDonald’s is fast food ‘royalty’, with over 36,000 restaurants globally—it would then make sense for some people to believe that there are some kind of underground secrets hidden behind those golden arches. What’s the most prominent conspiracy netizens can’t seem to shake, you ask? The fact that the drab and depressing architecture associated with modern-day McDonald’s restaurants supposedly reflects a rise in global tyranny and political subjugation. I know, it’s deep stuff.

Indeed, it seems that many people these days are completely fixated on the idea that McDonald’s architectural choices—specifically opting for neutral greys and minimalism design as opposed to its original colourful and playful designs—have a deep meaning, almost as if it’s trying to tell us something…

So, with theories ranging from communism to plummeting birthrates, let’s unpack exactly why McDonald’s is considered so suss these days.

On 3 March 2025, independent culture publication Culture Critic shared a post on X, wherein it compared two pictures of McDonald’s restaurants—one from 2009 that was full of colour and playfulness, and one from 2025 that looked grey, brutalist, and pretty boring. The post was captioned: “Every aspect of life is being stripped of color. What is causing this?”

Every aspect of life is being stripped of color.

What is causing this? pic.twitter.com/p5YNYKChNF

— Culture Critic (@Culture_Crit) March 3, 2025

Immediately, people began sharing their thoughts in the comments section. One user offered the opinion: “Aging populations that don’t have kids. Why build for kids when there aren’t any?” while another answered back: “Maybe because they are depopulating us? Maybe they are trying everything they can to break us physically and mentally, in an attempt to wipe out as many of us as possible?”

There does seem to be a growing sentiment online, particularly from certain extremist corners of the internet, that the national world order is slowly but surely causing mass infertility and plummeting birth rates:

11. The Overpopulation Crisis is a Fabricated Lie

– The myth of overpopulation was invented by elites to justify population control measures and restrict freedoms.

– In reality, many nations are facing declining birth rates, and the fear of overpopulation is used to manipulate… pic.twitter.com/l8iJ6BAc2F

— MatrixMysteries (@MatrixMysteries) September 7, 2024

Dr Naomi Wolf says she cannot escape the conclusion that there was a deliberate intent to sterilise the next generation.

This is how they reduce our numbers, the process has already started, it is irreversible.

Children of Men.pic.twitter.com/GI29fQToQE

— Darren of Plymouth (@wolsned) March 2, 2024

Mass infertility is going to be seen as a non-issue until it’s too late.

That’s the thing with all their soft kill tactics like vaccines, chemicals in the water, etc

Just enough plausible deniability to avoid average people figuring it out and then control the reach of the few…

— MascMillennial (@MascMillennial) June 27, 2023

From vaccines and medication, down to the food we eat and water we drink, conspiracy theorists are totally convinced that the global population is at dire risk.

So, has McDonald’s deliberately scaled down its kid-friendly restaurants in preparation for the end of civilisation? Unlikely. However, there is an argument to be made that with the booming wellness industry, parents are actively avoiding fast food chains, rendering the McDonald’s play areas (and the pop of colour that came with them) pointless.

Plus, given the complete lack of political stability across the globe, is it so surprising that the world feels void of colour? We’re living in a particularly depressing moment in history, so it makes sense that we’re forced to eat our chicken nuggets in an equally depressing setting.

The other prominent online conspiracy theory is that McDonald’s shift towards more minimalist, dark, and brutalist architecture is deliberately associated with the increased interest in global communism.

Go to any former communist country you see the same beige/brown colored, box shaped and windowless buildings. Leftists destroy beauty, it’s what the do because they hate themselves and the world.

— Napindn (@Napindn1) March 9, 2025

Very soviet

— Dot (@Dot2TrotBlog) March 9, 2025

Soviet buildings and architecture are historically extremely plain and dull—heavy on practicality but lacking a whole lot of fun and colour.

These Soviet-era structures are the housing blocks communism left behind. All were built after World War II to cheaply house the masses in a way that jived with communist ideology: near-identical two- and three-bedroom apartments. 📸: Zupagrafikahttps://t.co/3pPORDwkii pic.twitter.com/RlqaFGrko0

— WIRED (@WIRED) April 5, 2021

This being said, McDonald’s is one of the most prevalent and greatest examples of capitalism in action, so I think netizens might be reaching with this one.

The most realistic answer to these architectural shifts is likely quite surface level: costs. Cheaper designs equal higher profit margins, it’s that simple. Although, I doubt that realisation will ever satisfy the needs of theorists across the internet. What’s your take?