CNN
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Cold french fries are bad enough. But cold, old french fries are even worse.
That’s the surprise from Ronald McDonald that one Illinois couple stumbled upon during home renovations.
On April 16, Rob and Gracie Jones were doing work on their 1959 Crystal Lake home, located about 50 miles northwest of Chicago.
Suddenly, they found a decades-old McDonald’s bag behind one wall.
“Rob was in the bathroom replacing the old toilet paper fixture,” Gracie told CNN Wednesday, “As he pulled the fixture out, he noticed a rolled up piece of cloth bunched up inside the wall.”
The couple had no idea they were about to discover decades-old fast food.
“At this point we’re both looking at each other wondering if we’d be calling the police because we just uncovered evidence from a crime scene!” Gracie said, “We were very relieved to have just found the old McDonald’s bag.”
They then took the bag into their kitchen to carefully open it. Inside they found two hamburger wrappers and some half-eaten, decades-old french fries – that were crispy and brown.
“We saw the fries and were like, ‘This is unreal.’ How on Earth are these fries still in this bag and how are they preserved so well?! It was wild,” Gracie added.
McDonald’s fries are usually known for their salty scent, but the couple said there was no smell to these relics.
Gracie said they picked up a few of the fries and were surprised at how sturdy they were, despite their decrepit appearance.
Researching the logo on the bag they discovered, the couple learned it was used in McDonald’s production from 1955 to 1961.
They also found out that one of the area’s original McDonald’s was built down the street from their home in 1959 – the same year their house was built.
The bag even contained the original mascot for the fast-food chain, Speedee.
CNN has contacted McDonald’s about the unusual find, and is awaiting comment.
For now, the couple has the ancient meal in storage and aren’t sure what to do with it.
“We’d be happy to sell it or if not, we’d probably keep it as a cool piece of history,” Gracie said.