I chose to observe at these two settings because one is located near a large college campus and is also very close to the downtown business district of Columbus, and the other is located in a developed suburb about 20 minutes away. I thought that these specific locations would increase my chances of observing a variety of both workers and customers. Also, I thought it would enhance the quality and overall accuracy of my observations because the communities surrounding the two locations are so different from each other. .
When observing, I chose to do so from a "third person" point of view. I did not interact or socialize with employees or customers (with the exception of interviews, which were done following my observation time) because I did not want people's behaviors to be influenced (positively or negatively) by an awareness of my observations. When conducting my interviews, I was sure to remain completely neutral and made the questions broad enough so that they could be individually subjective and free of influence from my personal opinions. The two restaurants were very different from each other. The first location was clean, yet had an industrial-like and sterile atmosphere about it. The walls were a stark white, grey tiles covered the floors, the booths and tables were a combination of white and grey and the only color throughout the dining area was randomly placed "McDonalds" logos. Also, unlike the second McDonalds observed, this one had an indoor play-place for children. I observed at this location on a Monday afternoon, between 1:00-3:00 pm, and the restaurant was staffed with one manager, two cashiers, one person working the pick-up window and two other workers. The second location was almost the opposite, in terms of décor, of the first. Located in the upscale suburb of Dublin, this McDonalds has a very warm and inviting atmosphere. The walls were painted, there were multicolored tiles on the floor, nice decorations throughout (fake flowers and photographs, not only McDonald's logos) and a fireplace completed the dining room.
