McDonald’s opens on Main Street with ribbon-cutting celebration

The new McDonald’s restaurant at 789 Main St., built over the summer on the site of a previous McDonald’s, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy, members of the City Council and representatives from the Waltham Chamber of Commerce attended the event. Special guests included Lucky the Leprechaun, the Boston Celtics mascot, along with Grimace and the Grinch.

Rich Hogan, the local owner-operator, said that the aesthetic and technological improvements to the Waltham McDonald’s will offer customers a state-of-the-art dining experience. 

The drive-thru features two lanes and LED menu boards. The building’s interior and exterior have a more modern look than the previous restaurant, including the availability of kiosks inside rather than registers.

“Kiosks give us more order channels, and a number of customers prefer going to kiosks rather than going up to a register like our mother and father did at old McDonald’s,” said Hogan.

Hogan said he’s most excited about the extended closing hours, which will be moved from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. He has seen a huge increase in McDelivery orders over the years across the 23 McDonald’s restaurants that he owns and operates, and he believes that the new late-night hours will lead to more such orders, especially on weekend nights. The new closing time resembles that of the Wendy’s at 806 Main St., which is open to 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. throughout the week.