Big Macs and other icons of the McDonald's menus will once again be available at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to Kate Dougherty of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The fast-food giant closed in 2012, after the MAC began bringing in local stores and restaurants at the airport. That shift to make the airport more reflective of Minnesota has been widely lauded (hello Ike's and Creative Kidstuff), with one exception. There was an outcry when McDonald's went away (a move made by Delta). Now, Big Mac fans can take heart: The MAC will soon officially announce the return of McDonalds, to be located where concourses D and C meet. Timing and other details are yet to be announced, so stay tuned. For now, know that Big Macs may not be the product of a Minnesota chef, but many Minnesota flyers enjoy them nonetheless.
What about McDonald's former site? Any lingering scent of French fries has been masked by the aromas of soaps and candles produced by Minnesota companies Illume and Thyme. Uptown Minnesota, the store that opened in the space in March, features a host of locally produced goodies. Along with Illume and Thyme products, travelers can find handcrafted moccasins by Itasca Leathergoods, men's ties and wool blankets by Pierrepont Hicks, jewelry designed by local artisans and other subtley Minnesota-centric stuff (no moose T-shirts here, thank you very much). The new store is on the G Concourse, near the international gates G1-G6.
