How will Big Macs blend into Ybor City?
Miami had McCubans. Boston tried McLobster Rolls. Will Ybor City get McRice and Beans? “It’s pretty unlikely,” said Lisa Howard, a spokeswoman for the burger empire. McDonald’s is eyeing a site off Interstate 4 for its first restaurant in Tampa’s historic district. The design could reflect Ybor’s Latin roots, but the menu probably won’t. “When customers come to McDonald’s, they like the consistency of the menu,” Howard said. The world’s largest fast-food chain has a proposal before Ybor’s architectural review board to build a store on 13th Avenue and 21st Street, across from rival Burger King. McDonald’s would demolish the old Hardee’s, which closed in March 2001 because of poor sales. Many local leaders welcome the addition, provided it blends with the historic neighborhood. Bring on the Big Mac, they say. Tourists and locals demand it. “A lot of our visitors happen upon us. They don’t plan to come here, they just see the signs,” said Annette DeLisle, president of the Ybor City Chambe
