KOKOMO, Ind. — Children will be horrified to know that cauliflower and green beans might someday be available at McDonald's.

        The fast-food icon is banking on a more favorable reaction from parents with its first diner-style restaurant.

        Along with '50s music, chrome and bar stools, the new “McDonald's with the Diner Inside” features everything from sliced turkey and stuffing to Belgian waffles.

        “What we're trying to do is add another dimension to McDonald's,” Tom Ryan, senior vice president of marketing for McDonald's USA, said during a tour of the Kokomo test site. “When you have time to sit down and have a meal, it's a different experience.”

        While the new restaurant has the full array of traditional McDonald's fare — and the same counter and drive-through service — those who opt for the diner experience can seat themselves, peruse a four-page menu, then pick up one of the bright-red phones at each table to order.

        Alan Feldman, president of McDonald's USA, said the company hopes to double its business in the United States in 10 years without doubling its number of restaurants. He said existing restaurants can be converted to accommodate the diner concept.

        But why tamper with a fast-food formula that's worked well since the 1950s? Mr. Feldman said the aging baby boomer generation is one significant reason.

        “We want our customers to stay with us as they age,” he said.

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