ALTON - It's been nearly a year since the McDonald's on Broadway burned down to the ground, but it's back and better than before.
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That's right, as of 6 a.m. Monday, the busy location reopened.
"We're here, again, and we're glad to be back," Dick Bold said. He's been an Owner/Operator with the McDonald's Corporation for about 30 years now and was present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"I mean it's been one delay after another," he said jokingly.
He mentioned setbacks like only being sent two of the four a/c units needed as well as the gas meter showing up a little late.
None of that matters now though as the restaurant, conveniently located where you first enter Alton, is re-open for business.
"Finally we have got across the finish line. We are here, and we are back," Bold said to some applause.
From there, Bold gave the floor to Alton's Mayor, David Goins.
"I wasn't in office very long before I got the phone call from the fire chief that stated that the McDonald's was on fire on Broadway. I was thinking it was just a little fire, but when I got here I could see that it was engulfed in flames."
The building sat around for some time after the fire but was finally given the go-ahead to be bulldozed and re-build the iconic 'Golden Arches'. It took around a year to build the new restaurant, but all is done now.
Goins reiterated how important that specific McDonald's location was to the town.
"It was a sad day for our community the day of the fire, especially in this area where so many people depended on this restaurant on the way to work, on the way home, and everything in between."
"I was so glad to hear officially that it was going to come back."
"We're back to normal," Goins said. "That's the thing we love, being back to normal."
Not only are things back to normal, but Bold believes things are even "better than before."
McDonald's on Broadway is open every day of the week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. According to their website that goes for both the drive-thru and new-and-improved lobby.
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