BETHLEHEM, Pa. — While Westgate Mall is having somewhat of a revamp along Bethlehem’s northwestern corridor, it’s only natural to see places to eat popping up.
And how about one of America’s favorite fast-food chains to boot?
A new McDonald’s at 2441 Schoenersville Rd. along the Westgate Mall strip had its grand opening Wednesday, though the store’s been operating since mid-March.
“The arches, they’re truly shining because of the community and the people that we serve,” said Robert Hughes, franchise owner-operator and Macungie resident.
The newest Bethlehem store is currently open from 5:30 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. each day, but that could change to offer 24 hours of service come summer, officials said.
“The arches, they’re truly shining because of the community and the people that we serve.”Local McDonald's franchise owner-operator and Macungie resident Robert Hughes
And with so many Lehigh Valley Health Network buildings near the restaurant, anyone with a medical ID can get a free drink with purchase. And don’t forget free fries on Fridays.
Hughes said the store is currently accepting applications and will employ almost 75 people once fully staffed, including management, crew members, maintenance and other supervisory positions.
This makes for Hughes’s fourth location in the Lehigh Valley, with others located on Easton Avenue in Bethlehem, Nazareth Pike in Bethlehem Township and Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown.
His other six operate out of the Reading, Berks County, area, he said.
Streamlined operations
The Schoenersville Road location is operating with an emphasis on streamlining the customer experience, Hughes said.
Mobile ordering comes with a simple drive-thru process, exclusive deals — even free food — within the McDonald’s app, kiosks in the store for quick ordering and less waiting in line.
“It has changed the consumers’ ways of eating out. We thought that it would drop off, the delivery, takeout. But it’s increased, huge. In fact, a lot of McDonald’s have cut back on the size of dining rooms.”Local McDonald's owner-operator Robert Hughes, speaking on going out to eat following the COVID-19 pandemic
Hughes said this new outlook on operations came about during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has changed the consumers’ ways of eating out,” he said.
“We thought that it would drop off, the delivery, takeout. But it’s increased, huge. In fact, a lot of McDonald’s have cut back on the size of dining rooms.”
This morning, I was at the grand opening of the new @McDonalds on Schoenersville Road along the Westgate Mall strip. Macungie resident and Ronald McDonald aficionado Renee Jones showed up sporting her vintage Mickey D’s cap. @LVNewsdotcom pic.twitter.com/S3kRv2dVW0
— LVN Will Oliver (@LVN_WillOliver) April 25, 2024
Rock ‘n Roll McDonald’s
The corner of Schoenersville Road and Westgate Drive was rocking Wednesday.
Though there was no shortage of special guests on site — Grimace, Hamburglar, state legislators, Bethlehem City Council members, city fire and police chiefs, city mounted police and even live music from area musician Scott Samuels — one local stood out.
Renee Jones is a Macungie resident, a collector with around 1,000 pieces of Mickey D’s memorabilia and generally a lifelong lover of all things McDonald’s and its lineup of characters — with her favorite being Ronald McDonald.
“I like the 80s nostalgia of it. When we would go to have our birthday parties at McDonald’s, that was the fun thing to do.”Local Ronald McDonald aficionado Renee Jones
And she dressed the part, donning a themed backpack from Loungefly and an 80s-era McDonald’s cap she got from her thrifting excursions at Cackleberry Farm Antique Mall in Lancaster County.
Jones said the thought of Ronald McDonald and friends takes her back to childhood.
“I like the 80s nostalgia of it,” she said. “When we would go to have our birthday parties at McDonald’s, that was the fun thing to do.”
Some other prized pieces in her McDonald’s collection include a vinyl record with the franchise’s 70s theme music, one particular store’s corkboard and a branded highchair.
50 years and counting
Hughes said he started working part-time at a McDonald’s in Reading at 16, eventually making his way through all the positions in the store at a time before you could even use a credit card to pay for your food at the franchise.
Later attending Penn State and always keeping pace with his work at McDonald’s in the meantime, he eventually got a job with the company’s parent corporation in operations and finance.
“I love working with the employees, staff, seeing our people grow. I’ve had people that were 16 years old — they were kids and they’re coming in 30 years later with their children.”Robert Hughes, local McDonald's owner-operator
He got the chance to buy two franchises in the Reading area 20 years ago.
“I don’t look at it as a business; I’d look at it as an evolvement,” Hughes said.
“I love working with the employees, staff, seeing our people grow. I’ve had people that were 16 years old — they were kids and they’re coming in 30 years later with their children.”
