FARMINGTON – Local officials celebrated the opening of a new McDonald’s at the corner of Main and Front Street Thursday evening, with a gathering to thank contractors and planners associated with the project.
The new restaurant replaces an existing one that was constructed more than 40 years ago, prior to the implementation of many local, state and federal ordinances and regulations. The new building is narrower but longer, maintaining approximately the same square footage, and shifting further away from Main Street. The traffic pattern around the restaurant has been redesigned with two drive-thru lanes and the ability to exit onto Front Street, in a bid to reduce waiting time for customers.
The new building also includes improvements relating to its location in the flood plain and new stormwater and erosion regulations.
Thursday’s event was to thank employees of McDonald’s and The Napoli Group, LLC, which operates the Farmington store, for their assistance in getting the restaurant up and running after a summer-long construction project.
“It’ll be great to open,” Larry Johnston, a senior area supervisor with the Napoli Group. “Everyone’s excited.”
The all-new kitchen includes a number of more modern and in some cases automated appliances. An oil exchange system allows for used cooking oil to be rapidly transported from the restaurant and the dry goods closets have been consolidated into a smaller area equipped with rolling shelves.
The restaurant opened Friday at 5 a.m. Until Sunday, Oct. 4 at midnight, 10 percent of all proceeds will go to W.G. Mallett School in Farmington. McDonald’s also gave $1,000 to the Farmington Recreation Department.
Farmington Recreation Director Matthew Foster thanked the restaurant, saying that his department’s programs and McDonald’s had a “great relationship.” The funds would be used to recreate a beach volleyball field, Foster said, something that the department had received feedback in favor of from the public.
Principal Tracy Williams of Mallett School also thanked the restaurant. The funds could be used for new iPad teaching applications and recess equipment, among other items, she said.
I’m glad it reopened, but, after a visit, I think it is not as warm and cozy an atmosphere any more. No fireplace, and it seems to me to be more “industrial” and built for get ’em in and get ’em out fast. The parking has improved.
Stopped for the first time today. I agree with Mr. Reid about the atmosphere. It’s like a cafeteria now. Not inviting at all. Seeing through to the kitchen seemed to add to the crazy feeling of lots of activity. The screens with the menus on them kept changing while I was trying to figure out what I was going to order, making things a bit difficult. ( What’s with that!?) And it was hard to watch the elderly people trying to back out of the parking places into that double lane of drive thru traffic at lunch time. The parking lot was very congested except for around the far side, but then there was no door on that side of the building like the old one, so it meant walking around the building to get it. Maybe it will grow on me, but my first impression was that the old one was better.