The McDonald’s at 505 S. Van Dorn Street in the Landmark/Van Dorn corridor closed this week to build a second drive-thru lane.
The second drive-thru lane was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission and City Council last year and will replace an existing loading area, which will be moved to the front of the building, according to a presentation from McDonald’s.
In that presentation, McDonald’s said that the new lane will result in “increased order efficiency,” and supplies will be delivered in off-peak hours.
The restaurant has been at that location since the early 1980s, and the current property owner is Jemal Omidvar.
“In order to better serve our customers, improve the efficiency of the ordering process, and allow for better vehicular circulation on the Property, we are proposing a limited, second drive-through lane to allow for a side-by-side ordering system,” McDonald’s said in their application to the city. “This will allow for two orders to be placed simultaneously before the lanes merge back together to proceed to the pickup window.”
How long the restaurant will be closed is unclear. The franchise website says that it’s still open, although there is no answer from the listed phone number.
According to a city report:
Since the ordering process is often the most time-consuming part of the drive through process, the side-by-side system greatly improves efficiency, adds stacking capacity, and reduces backups during peak periods.
The construction would require removal of the four parking spaces on the north side of the drive through entrance and relocation of an existing dumpster from the northwest corner of the parking in this area to a location closer to the entrance. Additional ordering equipment would be installed alongside the building. The loading area would be moved to the building front… No other changes to the operation of the restaurant are proposed and it will continue to operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
