All red box locations (4) in my area are 50yds (half a football field) away from the McD's. If I have a mind to get a fillet-O-fish with extra tartar, FRESH med fri, and a half strawberry half chocolate shake; I'm parking as close to the door as I can.
Where these redboxes work best are near college dorms, in large cities with condos, and commuter "sleepy-towns" like Manassas, Va. where if it ain't in a strip mall, it ain't worth going to.
I've researched them. They will have their day in the sun. They are capitalizing on the rash of boutique marketing strategies that are now so popular. But they are a fad of the industry. Why not do both?
JMO