In the Philippines, where there are now four bicycle owners for every car owner, a popular restaurant chain is creating what it calls Bike and Dine infrastructure to encourage the nation’s bike riders.

McDonald’s Philippines launched its ‘Ride the Arches’ campaign after noticing how many cyclists were using the stores as a stopover on bicycling trips, reports LIttle Black Book Online. 

In 2021, it began to invest in Bike & Dine facilities including bike repair and e-bike charging stations, integrated bike racks and dining ledges and bicycle-safe ‘Ride-Thrus’. These facilities address a lack of bike-friendly infrastructure, providing cyclists with safe places to take breaks, charge e-bikes and make minor repairs.

Now with the help of the creative genius of the advertising agency Leo Burnett Manila, McDonald’s restaurants are being turned into stops on biking journeys, especially to places of great natural beauty such as Tagaytay, which has views of Taal Volcano; the island of Boracay, famous for pristine white-sand beaches; and Intramuros, a historic walled city in Manila.

“McDonald’s launched Bike & Dine facilities during the pandemic after seeing a surge in bike usage across the country,” says Kenneth S. Yang, CEO and president of McDonald’s Philippines. “We saw an opportunity to improve the customer experience for our two-wheeled customers, and be an advocate for sustainable mobility—encouraging more customers to ride.”

“We loved the idea of using McDonald’s scale, infrastructure and operations to support a vast community of bike enthusiasts, adding value with rewards, and creating an always-growing network of routes that lead across our stunning country,” said Raoul Panes, chief creative officer with Leo Burnett Group Manila and Publicis Groupe Philippines. “By incentivising cyclists to ‘Ride the Arches’, McDonald’s has become the gateway to discovering some of the most beautiful places in the Philippines.”

McDonald’s challenged cycling groups nationwide to create routes that loop from arch to arch, and recruited cycling influencers to create and share their favourite routes. There are more than 100 routes and over 51,000 kilometres pedalled so far. 

Next, McDonald’s hosted a series of community bike rides called #TourDeMcDo. Fuelling these rides are free meals, special cyclist meals, and merchandise for those who share the best photos or ride the most kilometres. This summer and fall, events are planned for World Bike Day (3 June) and National Bicycle Month (November).

Sources:

McDonald’s Philippines Gets The Nation Cycling with ‘Ride the Arches’ Leo Burnett Little Black Book Online, May 14, 2024

Ride the Arches. McDonald’s Philippines.

Cover image: The bike and dine infrastructure at a McDonald’s restaurant in the Philippines.