The Last OG McDonald’s Shuts Down
Just hearing that a McDonald’s shut down is news. Look, I will never have the money to own a fast-food franchise. However, if I did there are two that appear to be the safest investments on earth. One, have you driven by a Chick-Fil-A at lunch lately? And two, McDonald’s. Seriously, I’ve seen locations closed for remodeling or renovation or even relocation. I have NEVER seen a Mickey D’s shuttered for a reason like lack of business.
Burger King? Yes. Wendy’s? Yes. KFC? Sure. The place where “I’m lovin’ it?” Not a chance. So, hearing that a McDonald’s in Belleville, Illinois has closed, that in itself is news. What makes this even more intriguing though is that this location was the last in America to have the OG McDonald’s arch out front.
Notice I used the singular, “arch.” My whole life, McDonald’s has had the nickname, “The Golden Arches” based on it’s iconic logo and storefront signage. This store in Illionois was the last in America to have the original, single arch logo sign.
Interestingly, as you can see in the pic below, the store itself had been updated in recent years to the corporation’s more modern store design. And again, this is not a situation where the sign was removed. This is not a situation where the store is being renovated. No, this is a shutdown of a McDonald’s franchise.
You just don’t see this everyday, and you REALLY don’t see the old school Mickey D’s logo on the regular. Puzzling end of an era as a McDonald’s closes its doors in Illionois.
7 Fast Food Restaurants We Wish Would Come To North Carolina
We do have some good fast food here in North Carolina. I know I personally could not live without Chick-fil-a. No matter how long the line is I seem to end up there at least once a week. And North Carolina’s own Bojangles and Cookout is a southern staple. Of course, we have all the heavy hitter chains like Mcdonalds’, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc. But just like Bojangles and Cookout are North Carolina institutions there are chains local to other parts of the country that we (unfortunately) don’t have here. If you’ve traveled outside of the state chances are you’ve had the chance to dine at a fast food restaurant that we don’t have in North Carolina. And some of them leave you begging for them to open one up here.
When Shake Shack opened its first Charlotte location the line was wrapped around the building for weeks with people desperate to try it. Chains are going more national now, I think Chick-fil-a has finally made it to California. With that in mind, I created this list of 7 fast food restaurants I wish would come to North Carolina. Some that could be a possibility as they have started coming closer to this area. A few only have locations in southern California making a North Carolina expansion highly unlikely. A girl can dream though. I’m planning a trip next month to Arizona where I’ll get to try some of these for the first time. Cannot wait! Have you tried any of these restaurants or know of any others you’d like to see here? Let us know!
Charlie Nance is the Afternoon Drive co-host (along with his wife) of "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple have been with the radio station since 2006. Charlie has won the prestigious CMA (Country Music Association) Award for Radio Personality of the Year and has been a finalist for the Country Radio Hall of Fame four times. Prior to his time in Charlotte, Charlie (along with Debbie) spent more than a decade hosting successful morning radio shows in Greenville, SC; Augusta, Ga; and Birmingham, Al. As a content creator for Country 1037, Charlie writes about dream lottery windfalls, sports, restaurants and bars, and travel experiences in North and South Carolina.
