Man’s vehicle didn’t fit in Hilton Head McDonald’s drive-thru. Now, he may be paying

A man was in the drive-thru at the Hilton Head Island McDonald’s when he realized that no, his truck didn’t fit.

The man said he thought he’d be able to fit under the 9-foot warning bar that cautions drivers of low clearance as they wrap around the building off U.S. 278 in the Port Royal Plaza, according to a report by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

He didn’t, and according to the report, he attempted to back up out of the drive-thru — hitting the sign again.

The man offered to pay out of pocket for the sign, according to the report.

The report estimates about $200 in damage to McDonald’s property.

The Hilton Head McDonald’s is currently in the process of applying to redesign the outside of the building, according to previous reporting from The Island Packet.

The new look will include a natural brown exterior and the McDonald’s logo but no famous golden arches over top of the restaurant to maintain the island’s branding and design guidelines.

The remodel also features a new drive-thru sign.

“McDonald’s and its franchising partners are investing $6 billion to modernize more than 14,000 restaurants nationwide,” said the application to the Town of Hilton Head Island. “The goal is to emphasize convenience and personalized experiences while boosting the fun-to-eat factor that the Golden Arches represent.”

The expected finish date is “by 2020,” according to the application.

The design review board heard the plans for the second time in April. In the first review, the board requested the developers remove all bright yellow elements of the plan.

The renovation will remove the existing roof and “light beams” on top the restaurant and add new drive-thru signage and more parking to the restaurant.

Inside, the restaurant will be reconfigured to install self-serve kiosks, according to the application.

The kitchen and dining room will be left mostly intact, so the restaurant should remain open through construction, the application said.

This story was originally published May 14, 2019 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Man’s vehicle didn’t fit in Hilton Head McDonald’s drive-thru. Now, he may be paying."

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.