[July 22, 2011] Changes under the Golden Arches Tweet Jul 21, 2011 (The McDowell News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The McDonald's on West Henderson Street in Marion, the first one for McDowell County, is about to make way for new and updated version of the venerable Golden Arches. And the McDonald's at the Walmart shopping center will start operating on a 24-hour schedule Monday. In May, The McDowell News reported that the McDonald's on West Henderson would be torn down later this summer and a new one would be built in its place. The new McDonald's on West Henderson would be a part of the fast food giant's $1 billion redesign. In addition, the McDonald's at the Walmart shopping center would be remodeled. This week, a boarded up and locked McDonald's sits empty across from the Ingles shopping center awaiting its eventual destruction. K-21 Corp. has the franchises for the two McDonald's in Marion and others in surrounding counties. Bob Kelley, president of K-21 Corp., said Thursday that the demolition on the old McDonald's will happen around Monday or Tuesday of next week. Kelley said it is somewhat sad for both him and John Karas, who is the chairman of K-21 Corp.'s board. The McDonald's on West Henderson was built in 1978. "We all kind of grew up and trained in that store," he added. The new building will be constructed in the new few months. The new McDonald's on West Henderson will reflect the chain's updated look and have a dual drive-through like the ones in the Tampa area. The new restaurant should open during the last week of October. "It's going to have all the latest and greatest things we have to offer," said Kelley. "It will be nice." And while the new West Henderson Street restaurant is being built, the one at the Walmart shopping center on U.S. 70 West will be open 24 hours a day. "We're going to start that Monday," said Kelley. All of the management and a couple of the crew members from the West Henderson Street restaurant will work at the other one in order to help maintain the 24-hour schedule. After the new one on West Henderson opens, the one at the Walmart shopping center will go back to a regular schedule. And when the new McDonald's on West Henderson is completed, then the one at Walmart will go through an extensive remodeling. However, it will not be torn down or closed as this work is being done, said Kelley. The McDonald's in Old Fort is with another franchise owner, who is based in Asheville. To see more of The McDowell News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mcdowellnews.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The McDowell News, Marion, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]