Local McDonald's® Receives Corporate Award

Portland McDonald’s® Restaurant Receives Corporate Award for Grand Opening Plan

Portland, Maine

The McDonald’s® restaurant at 332 St. John Street in Portland was recently awarded “Best Grand Opening Plan for 2008” by the Boston Region McDonald’s Corporate Offices. The new restaurant, owned by George, Edie and Scott Lydick, opened on June 26, 2008, and is located on the site of the first McDonald’s in Maine. It is now the biggest McDonald’s in Maine and the largest McDonald’s north of Boston.

The June 26 grand opening ceremony was family- and community-focused and featured a flag raising by the Portland Police Department Color Guard, musical selections by the Maine Youth Orchestra, performances by Maine Event Cheerleaders, and an appearance by Slugger the Sea Dog.  The Lydicks thanked the community with check presentations to the Maine Event Cheerleading Squad, the Maine Youth Orchestra, the Ronald McDonald House® of Portland and the Sgt. Robert Johnsey Memorial Scholarship Fund, a scholarship established to benefit the children of fallen Portland Police officer.

The Grand Opening was followed by a month of special programs that included in-store events, special pricing, a 1960’s Retro Classic night, and a sweepstakes trip for two to St. John, Virgin Islands entitled “From St. John Street to St. John Island”.  The Lydicks also arranged for Ronald McDonald® to visit the Barbara Bush Children’s hospital where he visited patients’ rooms, performed magic tricks, took Polaroid pictures and signed autographs.

The Best Grand Opening Award was announced at a recent McDonald’s Boston Region Operators Association meeting held in Connecticut. The Lydick’s grand opening plan was one of two selected from entries submitted by restaurant Owner/Operators throughout New England and upstate New York.

“The St. John Street program implemented a comprehensive grand re-opening plan which received considerable publicity starting from the ground break and leading up to the opening and opening day events,” stated Aaron Zaslofsky, Marketing Communications Supervisor, Boston Region in presenting the award. “But perhaps one of the most novel components of the plan was a vacation sweepstakes promoted through in-store point-of-purchase and bag-stuffers, radio advertising and remotes, and a crew that dressed the part. This idea was not only highly creative, but a tremendous guest count generator that produced thousands of entries, and over one thousand in the first three days alone.”

The McDonald’s on St. John Street in downtown Portland is the site of Maine’s first McDonald’s restaurant, built in 1964, and now the largest one north of Boston. Owned and operated by George, Edie and Scott Lydick, this restaurant incorporates the latest features rolling out nationally, including the all-new McCafe® featuring premium specialty coffees such as mochas, lattes and cappuccinos as well as faster service at double drive thru lanes. This year, George Lydick is celebrating his 40th year with McDonald’s. For more information about McDonald’s in Maine, go to www.mcmaine.com.