Christal Mahoney seriously misses her “McFamily.” That’s what the affable General Manager of the St. Joseph McDonald’s restaurant calls her regulars who have frequented the Niles Avenue McDonald’s for years, but are currently in limbo due to the million-dollar makeover currently underway in the Southtown neighborhood.
Mahoney and her boss, Jessica Blumenfeld, who serves as Director of Operations for Dawa Enterprises, the corporation that owns the St. Joseph McDonald’s, met with me inside the shell of what will become “An Experience of the Future Restaurant,” today. That’s what Blumenfeld says is planned for the finished product in six weeks when the restaurant is slated to re-open on March 8th.
The two exuberant employees of McDonald’s owner Estephan Awad walked through the skeleton of framework where contractors are working around the clock to finish the project on time for that March opening date.
Blumenfeld says what adds to the futuristic flavor of the decor will be the digital electronic kiosks which will allow guests to avoid standing in long lines if they wish. Instead of queueing up with fellow diners at the counter, you will be able to walk up to a kiosk, place your order, find a table to sit down at and have your meal delivered directly to your table in the dramatically different atmosphere from what had become an out-dated restaurant in need of renovations.
Additionally, side-by-side drive-thru window service with two lanes featuring digital menu boards will allow the McDonald’s team to handle anywhere from 150 to 200 vehicles per hour instead of the previous restraint of 100 to 120 vehicles per hour.
Digital menu boards inside as well will showcase the offerings of the restaurant, some of which will be new to the St. Joe store including chicken tenders, new Signature Craft items like pico guacamole, sriracha sandwiches and new McCafe offerings like the forthcoming Turtle McCafe drink.
Those who are dining in will also be able to capitalize on table service, wherein you can place your order at the counter and have it delivered to your table. Additionally, with the McDonald’s phone app you will be able to order telephonically and pick your food up either at the counter, from the to go lanes or at a curbside service area so you don’t have to leave your car at all.
Blumenfeld says, “Our goal is anything that you want, we’re going to do our best to provide so that your guest experience is the best ever.”
At the moment, the building is a hollowed-out shell down to stud walls, windows and concrete floors with wide open rafters overhead. Extensive exterior work is wrapping up and electricians, plumbers and HVAC teams have been installing their infrastructure to make way for the finished walls, floors, ceilings and furnishings.
Both women point with pride to the wide open front end of the building which once housed the Play Place game area for kids. That will become a state-of-the-art lobby, and Blumenfeld says, “When our guests come in we want to be the best-looking restaurant in town, and we will be.” New restrooms will be more user-friendly, and everything from the stock rooms to the kitchen will achieve substantial new efficiencies including things like new LED lighting and more.
While the kid’s Play Place goes away, there will be a sleek new, wide open designated area with a large, interactive table “that lights up, and does different things, complete with a couple of computers where they can sit with touch-screens and interactive programming to play with.”
Contractors began the makeover in the November-December time frame and the restaurant has been closed since the first week of December and will re-open for business on March 8th.
Mahoney says, “We’re hoping that people who are missing their Big Macs or Egg McMuffins will come to us when we re-open so we can welcome them back, but in the meantime, Stevensville is right around the corner.” She is working there five days a week now, so you can stop by to see her if you miss her like she misses you.
Seating in the newly renovated restaurant will be largely the same capacity at about 90 guests, but the dramatic increase in drive-thru capabilities helps expand that substantially. Christal is proud that her team scored a record 106 cars served in a single one-hour time frame — great for a single lane drive through — but looks forward to the huge increase possible with the two-lane system.
Mahoney will field a team of 75 crew members and ten managers when the shop is completed, with many working at other Dawa Enterprises operations. The franchisee, Estephan Awad, also owns McDonald’s restaurants in Stevensville, Berrien Springs, Bridgman, Buchanan and four stores in South Bend.
Stay tuned for more as opening day draws near.
In the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market are (left to right) Jessica Blumenfeld, Director of Operations, and Christal Mahoney, General Manager, checking out blueprints for the St. Joe store renovation now fully underway.
