A Network World reporter visits the Times Square McDonald's for the second time in hopes of getting online: Apparently during his first visit, he couldn't get online and store workers couldn't help. This time, a couple of workers had to grab a manager to help him out. The manager offered him printed instructions of how to get on. The network worked fine and the reporter got on for free. But he was the only person in the restaurant with a laptop.
I still find the Wi-Fi in McDonald's idea to be a stretch. McDonald's shops that are near freeway exits might be nice for sales people or other travelers on the road. Otherwise, I just can't imagine wanting to hang out in a McDonald's to get Internet access.