Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010

First it was McDonald’s, which revamped 13 of its Tokyo stores in April with the help of French interior designer Philippe Avanzi. Now, a couple of other fast food chains are giving themselves a more sophisticated makeover. Burger King’s new Roppongi store (pictured), opened on June 29, encourages customers to unwind with comfy seating and “Sound Spot” areas where you can plug in an iPod or iPhone and listen to your own tunes as you eat (B1 Rapiros Bldg, 6-1-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku; www.burgerkingjapan.co.jp). Not to be outdone, KFC unveiled a “next generation” Shibuya store on July 9. Aimed squarely at female diners, it features a cafe-style interior and menu of healthy chicken dishes cooked in a steam convection oven (1-21 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku; www.kfc.co.jp/nextkfc).