Vacant House Transformed Into Massive McDonald’s French Fry Container

McDonald’s french fry house, 5733 W. Silver Spring Dr. Photo taken Aug. 7, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

When Erik and Laura Schroeder found themselves with a vacant house on their hands, the french fry-loving McDonald’s franchisees did what they know best — Super Size it.

In search of a creative use for the dilapidated structure next to their McDonald’s restaurant, 5739 W. Silver Spring Dr., the married couple tapped muralist Fred Kaems to transform the eyesore into a massive box of McDonald’s french fries.

“I think it exceeded all of our expectations,” Erik said. “We’re known for our world-famous fries, and now I can say I have the largest french fries in the world.”

The Schroeders, who relocated from California to Milwaukee in 2021, appreciate that the painting is “out of the box,” though one could argue that the box itself is a rather important part of the mural, making up the bright red lower half of the two-story building.

Kaems primed and painted that portion with a large sprayer, said Erik, who observed the process with great interest. The rest was painted freehand, with the entire mural taking less than a week from start to finish.

“He went in and hand-drew every french fry,” Erik said. “I sat out here like, ‘I’m gonna drive you nuts.’ I’m just fascinated.”

As for the neighbors, they’re “lovin’ it.”

“The guys across the street were sitting in their lawn chairs hooting and hollering,” Erik said. “It’s what McDonald’s is; it’s fun.”

The building is currently vacant, and only used occasionally for storage. The online rumor mill, however, has been active in saying otherwise, with many repeating false claims that McDonald’s operates a daycare at the site.

When word got back to the City of Milwaukee, an official even dropped by to check. Erik reiterated that the building remains empty, though he said “there could be something in the future.”

“It would be great to eventually have a daycare for our employees, because they need that.”

The Schroeders both had different careers before venturing into franchising.

“We were people with different lives in the past,” Erik said. “And we decided it was time to do something different. I happened to fill out an application for McDonald’s one night, and the rest is history.”

The journey brought them to Milwaukee, where they now operate seven McDonald’s throughout the area. “We loved the city from the minute we got here,” Erik said.

When the Schroeders took ownership of McDonald’s, the adjacent 1950 structure was in rough shape, with a large hole in the roof and a collapsed upper floor. The couple acquired the vacant building, 5733 W. Silver Spring Dr., in 2023 for $39,000 and considered bulldozing it.

Instead, they took inspiration from Milwaukee’s burgeoning mural scene, as well as Erik’s longtime love of graffiti art. “Our house is full of it,” he said with a sidelong glance at Laura.

The french fry house, which features a fenced-in backyard, is situated just east of McDonald’s. Those who park on-site or visit the drive-thru will notice a painted nod to Round-Up for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The fundraising effort invites customers to round up their payment to the nearest dollar, with donations benefiting the nonprofit, which provides accommodations, meals and support to families with children who are seriously ill.

“The foundation is very near to us,” Erik said. “My best friend growing up, her family had to use that when we were kids,” Erik said. “So even before us getting in [as franchisees], we knew what it was.”

The McDonald’s is a drop-off site for RMHC. Those who drop off a small bag of soda can pull tabs at the location will receive a free coffee or soda.

Photos

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