AMHERST – Screams of delight and tense anticipation filled McDonald’s restaurant Saturday as the restaurant officially re-opened their doors after closing for renovations. Children were treated to some free ice cream and adults to coffee as they waited to witness the official ribbon cutting and, the main event to some, the arrival of Ronald McDonald himself.
“We actually closed down in September for total renovations and we opened up in December for drive thru only,” said the restaurant's owner Danny Moore. “Then, we had the full lobby of the restaurant opened in January. Today, we have a lot of specials happening. The kids are having a great time in the Play Place. It’s been a real big hit. The biggest problem right now is everyone can’t find seats.”
Aside from the coffee, hot chocolate and ice cream cones, the infamous Hamburglar and Grimace were out celebrating the grand re-opening and spending their time taking photos with the children.
With the ribbon cut, the celebration began. The iconic Ronald McDonald welcomed all the children and their parents to join him as he and Moore cut the cake.
Moore said he knew the restaurant would be busy, especially with the planned appearance of Ronald. He said he was honoured to have him stop by as everyone knows he is extremely busy.
“He’ll probably be here for a couple of hours, depending on the kids and how soon they will let him go. He’ll stay for as long as there are kids here. They’ll have a great time,” said Moore.
Ronald even managed to spare a few minutes to chat about his special appearance before running off to entertain the children and play a few games.
“This is so amazing. It’s fun,” he said. “This restaurant was rebuilt from scratch and it’s amazing to have this celebration and be able to give back to the community. My favourite part is, I would say, having fun being with the kids.”
Ronald added he planned to keep the little ones busy after they had their cake. He said he planned to dance around with them and play some games.
“This is what I love best,” he added.
For a slideshow from the event, visit cumberlandnewsnow.com
jturner@amherstdaily.com
