YAY! McDONALDS OFFERS FREE WiFi!

You probably think Big Macs and french fries when you see the Golden Arches. McDonald’s wants you to also think: free WiFi.
Starting last week, 11,000 McDonald’s outlets nationwide began offering free Internet access.

“At first, McDonald’s wasn’t that relevant to laptop users, but we’ve taken baby steps,” moving from paid to free, said Paul Hendel, owner of a McDonald’s franchise at W. 15th St. and Sixth Ave. in Manhattan that’s one of the first wired for the Web.

“It’s user-friendly and is almost on par with the airports,” he added.

Jimmy Sines, a customer from Flatbush, Brooklyn, seemed thrilled at the prospect of being able to get online while chowing down on a Big Mac and coffee, his preferred meal.
“I used to pay $20 for an hour and a half of time,” said Sines, who chats with friends in American Sign Language via Webcam because he is deaf.

Some customers, like Sines, can spend a lot of time online once they get going, but Hendel said he’s not worried about seat hoggers.

“I’ve seen an increase in business and customer counts are up. Just about everyone has been respectful of time and making McDonald’s purchases,” Hendel said.

Hendel was flown to Europe to visit McDonald’s outlets, where franchises try to create a cafélike vibe and free WiFi has been available for years.

After an extensive remodeling, Hendel’s store now sports softer lights and an interior that emphasizes earth tones.

Old-style fiberglass tables and chairs has been phased out, and a second floor features zebra-print furniture.

Laptop and phone users will like the abundance of battery charge outlets.

McDonald’s is the latest in a long line of establishments to offer free Internet access.

But one of the best known, Starbucks, won’t let Web surfers sit with their laptops till closing time. Registered users are allowed up to two hours daily of online time.