Wood tabletops, wood grain partitions and wood-trimmed ceiling fixtures will be part of a $1 billion  makeover now that McDonald's has tested and chosen a U.S. restaurant remodeling template. By 2015, McDonald's will have redone 14,000 U.S. restaurants, reports USA Today, using a Tampa, FL model as a prototype.

Restaurants will replace steel chairs with wooden chairs, and replsce fiberglass tables with wood-topped tables. The goal is to make the restaurants more inviting for longer stays, and give them a greener feel.

McDonald's has been a national member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2007 and has used programs like the LEED rating system as learning tools. McDonald’s participation within the pilot version of the LEED Retail program helped develop the current LEED Retail rating system for all retailers.

In 2008, McDonald’s USA opened a green restaurant in Chicago, IL, and in 2009 in Cary, NC, McDonald’s USA opened a green restaurant in Cary, NC, both achieving Gold LEED Certification. The first Canadian McDonald’s restaurant built to LEED specifications opened in December 2008 in Beauport, PQ, and used Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood materials.