McDonald's chews on value of free Internet

Still feel the itch to enjoy Starbuck's free Wi-Fi? Now there are more places to go as fast-food chain McDonald's launches its new restaurant image.

In 2010, McDonald's will speed up the "restaurant's image upgrading". Their target is by the end of this year more than half of its restaurants in China, and in three years more than 80 percent of restaurants will be completely the upgraded.

Staff uniforms at McDonald's restaurants have a new look. McDonald's (China) Co., Ltd. Vice President Miu Qin introduced that at the beginning of this year, McDonald's has started the "restaurant's image upgrading" in Shanghai. Its new image restaurants use more natural materials in the overall design. The use of soft lighting, rich texture of the wall and the changing use of space all seek to allow customers to have a warm, stylish and comfortable dining environment.

Services are also an integral part of the upgrade plan. McDonald's has begun offering a free Wi-Fi service in 50 restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. By April 2010, more than 90 percent of McDonald's restaurants in the above four cities will offer this service.

Whether dining in a restaurant or not, customers can enjoy a half-hour free wireless Internet service. However, after half an hour, McDonald's will take some form of charge according to customer needs.