Oakbrook, Illinois-based McDonald's is looking to relocate its restaurant at 3295 Buford Highway adjacent to a Shell gas station, to a more prominent location between the Kroger at Skye Hill and existing KFC. The move represents a distance of less than 3 tenths of a mile, but offers a superior location with potential for access from up to three streets: Buford Highway, Clairmont Road and Clairmont Terrace.
Where
Book Nook, a popular new and used book, CD and other media shop, was located in the shopping center for many years, but moved to North Druid Hills and Clairmont Road a few years ago. Book Nook was replaced by a mattress store which in turn, closed. Oasis International Restaurant looks to be closed as well: although its number is still in service, no one answered. A once popular laundromat has also closed, as did The Paper Chase, a local retailer specializing in film collectibles. The center's current lone tenant is a strange thrift store that occupies the space of a former package store.
Why
Back in the days of Ray Kroc, the man who made McDonald's the mega chain that it is today, things were a little less scientific. I've heard that Kroc would fly in the company plane over neighborhoods and when he saw a church steeple, he'd tell his people to build a restaurant nearby, as he believed that where there were churches, there were good american families and that was who he wanted as customers.
McDonald's decision to move on Buford Highway is surely the result of traffic pattern analysis and changes in demographics and other things. Their current location is fairly hidden and a couple of years ago, Burger King opened a far more prominent and more updated location at the Crossroads Village shopping center.
Not to say the area is all good: the KFC was at one point rebranded as a KFC / Pizza Hut dual branded unit, but has returned to selling KFC exclusively. Also, Checkers closed their location at the intersection, and El Pollo Loco, exited the market entirely, closing the Buford Highway location, one that had been the top producing in the state.
How
McDonald's has applied to DeKalb county to rezone the approximately 1.28 acre parcel from NS (Neighborhood Services) to C-1 (Local Commercial). Interestingly, as you can see from the photo, the sign actually misspells McDonald's as McDonal's. The Board of Commissoners held their monthly meeting July 24th and defferred the restaurant's requests to both rezone and have a drive-thru until their next meeting, August 28th.
When
If the rezoning application is approved, it's likely the new restaurant won't be open until late this year or early next year. It's entirely likely that the new restaurant, like new and recently remodeled locations, will not have a Playplace per se, as it seems McDonald's is no longer emphasizing that.
Past
I recall an existing McDonald's on Cheshire Bridge Road being shuttered in favor of another location not far away, but at a more prominent intersection, Lindbergh Drive and Cheshire Bridge Road. The former McDonald's now operates as "ROXX". Another similar move took place when McDonald's vacated their restaurant on North Decatur Road adjacent to then A&P ( now Publix ) and relocated up the road to what is now a Chevron / McDonald's combo store. Though I don't remember it myself, the current McDonald's at Executive Park on North Druid Hills was a third relocation after first being at Toco Hills and later on Briarcliff in what later became Miami Subs and is now Tin Roof Cantina. A reader also informed me that similar relocations have taken place in Snellville, a while back and Buford just a few months ago.
What do you think of all these changes and relocations? Any ideas for what should open in the soon-to-be vacant McDonald's or already vacant Checkers or El Pollo Loco? Do you prefer McDonalds or Burger King?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
What do you think of all these changes and relocations? Any ideas for what should open in the soon-to-be vacant McDonald's or already vacant Checkers or El Pollo Loco? Do you prefer McDonalds or Burger King?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.