In these times of large department stores and grey supermarkets, it is sometimes refreshing to see a shop that stands out from the crowd. These ten buildings not only stand out but they actually look like what they sell and if that doesn’t make you want to shop inside of them, just about nothing will…
Taru Tonneau, Japan
While there is in fact a restaurant inside this giant barrel the restaurant also has a famous bar that sells…whiskey! I would have been more impressed if it was a full barrel that size, but it does make me want to eat there.
Meiji Chocolate, Japan
While most of this chocolate-covered building you see in the image is the Meiji Chocolate Factory where the product is made there is indeed also a shop inside of it. On a side note they apparently also do free tours, but you can’t lick the walls and it doesn’t melt in the sun.
McDonald’s, USA
There is no need to rub your eyes, this really is a McDonald’s restaurant shaped like a happy meal box! I’m more of a big-mac man myself, but even I want to go into this building and order a happy meal!
Xing Yao Mobile Phone Plaza, China
While it is a retro-looking phone these days it is still shaped like what it sells. Well…to be honest, it is more a display facade than the actual shape of the building, but it still looks cool and each button on the phone is apparently a window!
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The Big Merino, Australia
No, this shop doesn’t sell the whole sheep, but if you look closely at the sheep shaped building you will notice that it is an extremely woolly sheep and yes, that is what this shop sells. This was also part of ‘Australia’s big things’ which was one of 150 weird and unusual tourist attractions to see in Aussie.
Kartini Beach, Indonesia
From one building shaped like an animal to another, but this one doesn’t sell giant sea-turtles, but it does have a gift shop that sells stuffed ones (toys) because this is an aquarium with real sea-turtles inside of it.
The Alimango Restaurant, Philippines
It’s not going to take a brain genius to work out what the main dishes are inside of this restaurant. While it is fun looking it is also one of the best crab restaurants in the country and has won more awards than there are crabs left in the sea!
Giant Koala, Australia
Yes, yet another animal, this time it is a Giant Kola that was made not only as part of Australia’s big things, but it was made to sell Koala kitchens. Now before you say that isn’t what it sells the company then went bankrupt having spent so much on the building itself, but the locals then realised that the shop was a popular tourist trap and it now sells gifts like…wait for it…Koala plushies and other Aussie related toys and gifts.
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Ice Cream Stand, USA
No, this building doesn’t look much like an ice-cream, but that is what it sells, but the owner wanted to make sure people knew the shop was using local milk to make that said icecream and so modelled the building on the very milk the icecream is made of. Personally I would have just made it look like a giant ice-cream…much like this next one!
Twistee Treat Ice Cream Shop, USA
Located in Zephyrhills, Florida this very popular shop is shaped very much what it sells. But there isn’t just one shop shaped like this, there are apparently almost 100 of them dotted around the US, oddly not all of them are still owned by the company ‘Twistee Treat’, but almost all of them are still ice-cream shops.