McDonald’s to reopen soon in Waterford

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bethany Bump

Waterford is preparing to welcome a brand new McDonald’s restaurant, nearly eight months after a grease fire destroyed its old one.

A ribbon-cutting will be held Aug. 6 to celebrate the grand reopening of the fast food joint at 42 Saratoga Ave. Local dignitaries and Boy Scout troops will be there, said Joslyn McArdle, a spokeswoman with Cronin and Company, which represents Capital Region McDonald’s restaurants.

A fire that broke out early Dec. 7 gutted the previous restaurant. The shell of the building was demolished in March and construction on a new building began in April.

“The plus side is this is basically an entirely different store,” said McArdle. “It’s more inviting.”

Owner Roger Grout was given two redesign options and chose McDonald’s “Forever Young” — a redesign brand the corporation launched in 2006 that boasts a warmer coffee shop vibe with wooden tables, faux-leather chairs and muted, more modern colors.

The new restaurant is about 25 percent bigger than the old one at 4,900 square feet. The lobby holds about 72 people and includes interactive “sparkle” tables for kids. It will also feature a side-by-side drive-thru and a third window for customers with orders that take longer than one minute.

A grand opening of a new McDonald’s restaurant in Colonie will be held later this summer, as well. The restaurant at 106 Wolf Road was torn down and rebuilt from scratch as part of the corporation’s ongoing redesign efforts.