You could call them McMice.
Mice--the computer kind--are now on the menu at McDonald's newest branch in Israel, the worldwide fast-food giant's first cyber-restaurant.
The suburban Tel Aviv branch, inaugurated on Sunday, has more than 20 personal computer terminals that customers can use to surf the Web while munching on their Big Macs and fries.
"It reflects the lifestyle of youngsters in Israel and in the world -- to eat fast food and use the Internet at the same time," Omri Padan, chief executive officer of McDonald's Israel, told Israel Radio.
To reserve a computer, customers buy a token costing the equivalent of two dollars at the counter for 20 minutes of surfing time.
The 120-seat restaurant also boasts giant computer screens that advertise events and Web sites. For smaller children, there are stations where they can play computer games for free, and the branch also offers Microsoft software for sale.
McDonald's Israel, which operates 90 restaurants in the country, said the "interactive" branch in upscale Ra'anana is the first McDonald's in the world to offer commercial Internet access.
The project was developed in conjunction with the MSN Israel portal.
Feeding Net demand
Israelis have a strong appetite for the Internet, according to statistics released last month by Nielsen/Net Ratings. They spend an average of almost 8-1/2 hours a month on the Web, putting them ahead of Internet users in 14 European countries but slightly behind those in the United States.
"The cooperation with McDonald's fulfils MSN's vision of providing Internet for everyone, anywhere and by any means," Doron Livstein, MSN Israel's managing director, said in a statement.
"I hope more branches (like this one) will open all over the world."
Seven of McDonald's branches in Israel are kosher--a world first. They close on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays and do not serve cheeseburgers in accordance with Jewish dietary laws that ban the mixing of meat and dairy.
