Ronald McDonald was on hand on Oct. 31 to welcome folks to the re-opening of Conway’s first McDonald’s Restaurant on Oak Street.
Asked if he was in Halloween costume or in Conway for the Grand Opening, he thought a minute and said: “It’s Halloween?”
Predicted to take 90 days from the demolition of Conway’s first McDonald’s, builder Gene Salter of Salter Construction said the project was completed in 83 days.
Billed as the world’s newest McDonald’s, the “swoosh-style” design on the outside beckons hungry folk inside and offers the same popular menu but on a new-styled electronic menu board.
A message board reveals the number of the order being served.
Outside service is speedier with two pick-up windows, working in tandem. There is Wi-Fi service and by Friday breakfast there were some laptops clicking away at tables.
Owners and operators Ginger and Ray Johnson opened the restaurant for a “VIP reception” on Tuesday night. About 100 guests dined on a buffet provided by Dee Lawrence of D&L Catering.
Some hungry McDonald’s patrons were turned away at the drive-through window that evening, but by 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, the management team of Jennifer Morgan, Jeff Burroughs, Mike Shaffer and Dea Wiles were preparing for the official opening at 7 a.m.
The drive-through is open 24-7; the lobby closes at 11 p.m. except on Fridays and Saturdays when it is open until midnight.
(Staff writer Becky Harris can be reached at becky.harris@thecabin.net and 505-1234.)
Comments (17)
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"About 100 guests dined on a buffet provided by Dee Lawrence of D&L Catering."
The McD's VIPs wouldn't eat the Filet-O-Fish so they had outside catering brought in.
Oh, that's too funny.
I caught that as well. There
I caught that as well. There is something eerie about a restaurant grand opening that has to be catered by an outside foodservice vendor. I guess fries and a Big Mac weren't up to snuff, yet we are told in relentless marketing how great and wholesome it is. /s
I think it's a liability issue.
The whole point is to let the special guests tour and explore the new restaurant. It would be difficult, dangerous, and not completely sanitary to cook up enough food to feed everyone while there are 100 people wandering around through the kitchen fiddling with stuff.
Oh that's just nice
Someone has to come along and ruin the fun by making a logical and very valid point. I up my thumb at you sir.
Sorry!
I didn't mean too! It just happens completely by accident sometimes. :(
But yeah, do you want to eat a hamburger after some VIP's kid walked through the kitchen and sneezed on the pickles?
and
"do you want to eat a hamburger after some VIP's kid walked through the kitchen and sneezed on the pickles?"
As if that's any worse than what the employees do to the food?
Perhaps strangely, due to my
Perhaps strangely, due to my line of work, I've been to dozens of 'sneak preview' events at restaurants. At every single one of them, the food that was being served was from the restaurant itself. Not one time have I ever seen or heard of anything like this. (Generally, guests don't wander through the kitchen of a fast food restaurant during such an event.)
In related news...
1 - A new bank is opening in Conway this week. They stated that everyone is invited to their grand opening when they can apply for membership at a local credit union.
2 - Wal-Mart has announced that the first 100 shoppers on Black Friday wil be given vouchers for $1,000 shopping sprees to Target.
Who Would Be
A MickeyD's VIP?!?!
Who else?
"Who Would Be A MickeyD's VIP?!?!"
Who else but Mayor McCheese?