Located inside a 100-year old Kyoto townhouse, known as a machiya, this Starbucks is anything but ordinary. To fit within one of the best-preserved areas of Edo-era wooden machiyas, the signature green color is swapped for a more favorable and neutral beige, while inside the traditional décor remains, with elegant scrolls lining the walls and tatami mats and cushions on the floors. There's even a traditional Japanese garden and guests are, of course, required to remove their shoes, if they're sitting in.
On the slopes of Poás volcano in this lush green country is Hacienda Alsacia, a Starbucks coffee farm, where you can see crops of coffee beans being grown. Guests can learn about their journey from seedling to cup and then enjoy a brew with sweeping views across the valley at the light and airy on-site café.
Finland is known for its love for saunas and now one Burger King branch has opened its own in-restaurant spa. Here you can be served regular burgers, drinks and alcoholic beverages while sweating it out in the 15-person facility. We'll leave you to decide whether it'll be a pleasant experience or not.
While visiting Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous former crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War, travelers shouldn't skip the strategically located KFC. The recognizable red and white sign is positioned beside the famous replica of “You are entering the American sector” sign, much to the objection of some.
Above a KFC, across the street from the Great Sphinx and Pyramid of Giza, is this prime location Pizza Hut. Typically, travelers can sit back in an air conditioned dining room with a pepperoni pizza, a cool drink and an unobstructed view of the ancient wonder.
In keeping with the area’s locomotive heritage, this fast food joint is housed in several train carriages at Barstow Station on Route 66. The old cars have been repurposed into dining carts, giving visitors a taste of train travel in mid-20th-century California – with added fries.
The Taco Bell in Pacifica is surely one of the chain's most incredible locations in the world. Situated on the beach, it has a cool surfer design, with wooden paneling, a colorful mural, exposed beams, a fireplace and walk-up window for those too sandy to come inside. What’s more, it’s one of the limited number of outposts where you can get an alcoholic drink.
Azerbaijan's capital offers the usual order of KFC but with a side order of history. The Sabunchu station, where this restaurant is housed, was built in 1926 and formed part of the Soviet Union’s first electrified railway system. At approximately 17,000 square feet (1,579sqm), the stone building is architecturally impressive with domed towers that shadow its surroundings. It also happens to be the largest KFC in the world.
Imagine loving Taco Bell so much that you stayed overnight there? Well in 2019, for five days only, you could. The Bell in Palm Springs, California was a Mexican fast food-inspired pop-up luxury resort from the restaurant chain. Guests could lounge on hot sauce packet-shaped inflatables in the pool, get Taco Bell-themed salon treatments and most importantly, feast on fish tacos, nacho fries and Crunchwraps in Taco Bell-themed bedrooms. Bring it back, we say!
Located on the banks of the Nile in the Egyptian city of Aswan, this McDonald's restaurant has exceptional views over the storied river. With plenty of outdoor space across two floors, diners can enjoy a burger and fries while gazing over the water.
This coffee spot in Tukwila, Washington, is built from old shipping containers to prevent them ending up in scrapyards. The initiative started in 2012 and eight years later there are 45 shops around the country built from fully reclaimed materials. It’s walk-up and drive-thru only.
The first KFC in Myanmar is pretty amazing in size and location. The two-story building seats 240 people over 6,000 square feet (1,829sqm) and swamps its neighboring Hindu temple. Despite being more expensive than local options, its egg tarts and chicken buckets are a hit.
To get more than just a burger from McDonald’s, its Yangshuo outpost comes with added mountainscapes and a few special items. Here diners can order Sichuan double chicken burgers, spicy McWings and German sausage double beef burgers which are only sold in China, while looking out to the glorious peaks and waterways.
There’s a lot to like about the world’s biggest Starbucks in Tokyo, Japan. The 32,000 square feet (2,973sqm) beautifully designed building in residential district Nakameguro has a prime spot overlooking the cherry blossom tree-lined Meguro River. There's also so much more than a coffee counter here – you'll find a bakery, tearoom and cocktail bar.
The unique location of this McDonald’s restaurant came down to money. Located in Hangzhou, in the former home of the late Taiwanese leader Chiang Ching-kuo, it caused some controversy when it opened. Activists had called for the cultural heritage site to be converted into a museum but it was leased to McDonald's because maintenance costs needed to be covered. Its interiors are decorated with posters about Chiang’s life in respect.
This stunning and ornately tiled Starbucks is in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. The more than 7,000,000 square feet (650,321sqm) shopping center – one of the largest in the world – is sectioned into six areas with different designs. The striking Persia Court is where customers can head for a customized coffee under striking vaulted ceilings, blue and turquoise mosaic walkways, and brass chandeliers.
Built in 1795 as a farmhouse, then converted into a 19th-century Georgian mansion, this historic building in Long Island is now a McDonald’s. The fast food chain had originally planned to knock it down and build a standard restaurant in its place but after backlash from locals, the burger joint decided to renovate it into the classiest McDonald's in the state.
The historic district of Insadong-gil in Seoul, South Korea, is an unlikely place for a Starbucks. Yet here one is in the middle of a traditional Korean street with antique stores. At first it was met with some resistance from locals, however it’s the only one in the world where the sign has been changed from English. You can get a number of local delicacies such as tteok (steamed Korean rice cakes).
A desert isn’t the first place you’d expect to see a Burger King (unless you’re thinking Vegas) but at the Kandahar US military base in Afghanistan it was a popular supplementary option for soldiers, often with long lines. It was taken away early in 2010 before returning a couple of months later.
It’s commonplace to find a Starbucks at a station, but on a train? That’s something new. In 2013, a Starbucks train car ran between Geneva Airport and St Gallen in Switzerland. It had sleek and comfortable-looking interiors and customers could order at a wooden bar, relax and enjoy views of the countryside.
Read more: Restaurants hiding in the most surprising locations
Previously known as the ugliest building in Rotterdam, this McDonald’s restaurant is now one of the most stylish fast food locations in the world. Once in line for demolition, it’s now renovated in a minimalist style with a glass-paneled front, statement white spiral staircase and perforated golden façade.
Ever wanted to eat McDonald’s on a plane? It might not be 38,000 feet up but this McDonald’s in Taupo, New Zealand has a decommissioned DC3 as part of its restaurant. The plane previously carried passengers for South Pacific Airline and was also a crop duster. Climb aboard for a Big Mac with a side of history and excitement.
This $2 million KFC is known as The Big Chicken to locals. Just outside of Atlanta, the restaurant has its own radio station, gift shop, state-of-the-art interiors and 56-foot (17m) moving chicken on its roof. It was originally built in the 1960s and was going to be taken down in the 1990s due to a storm. However, public outcry ensured it was preserved and upgraded – today the Big Chicken is fondly used as a landmark for directions.
Now take a look at tasty fast food joints you probably haven't tried