The iconic “Golden Arches” can be seen in almost every McDonald’s restaurant around the world, with very little, if any, variations among them. Notable exceptions include Canada, where small maple leaves can be found between the arches and the McDonald’s in Times Square which is covered in bright neon lights. A McDonald’s on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, France has bright white neon arches to go with the rest of the shops on the street. (Pictures of the white arch logo) Another McDonald’s in Sedona, Arizona has green arches, and a completely different color scheme in general to better blend with its surroundings.
Contrary to popular belief, the golden arches do not actually represent french fries. In fact, the original McDonald’s menu did not actually offer french fries at all. The arch logo is based on actual yellow arches that were part of the design of early McDonald’s restaurants to add some variety to the otherwise-drab red and white design. After phasing out “Speedee” (the original McDonald’s mascot with a hamburger for a face), the McDonald’s company chose to incorporate its distinctive architecture into a new logo. Since two arches together look like an “M”, they work perfectly as a logo. Future McDonald’s restaurants would forgo the actual arches themselves and just use the arch logo instead.