McDonald’s Athlone celebrates 25th birthday
McDonald’s Athlone has celebrated reaching quarter of a century in the town.
Franchisee Seamus Rawle and the team at the Athlone Drive-Thru, on the Dublin Road, restaurant recently marked the 25th anniversary of the opening of the restaurant in 1999.
Opening with just 50 staff members, the restaurant now employees over 95 local people, with full-time and part-time positions ranging from crew member to managerial posts.
Rawle said McDonald’s Athlone was proud to have many long-serving crew members, such as Lijana Marginean, who is marking 23 years, Michael Herrmann and Tina Howard, who both are marking 19 years, and John Bannon, who is marking 17 years at the restaurant.
During the past 25 years, the restaurant has had a number of major upgrades, including several remodellings and the development of its dual-lane drive-thru, as well as introducing digital kiosks, table service and McDelivery.
Rawle commented: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 25th milestone birthday at Athlone. We have continually invested in upgrading and improving the restaurant, introducing new technology and innovations through McDonald’s programmes such as ‘Convenience of the Future’ – aimed at enhancing our customer journey and crew experience.
“Serving excellent, high-quality food made from locally sourced produce is a continued focus at Athlone, thanks to longstanding relationships with brilliant supply chain partners such as Kerry Group, Moy Park and Dawn Meats.
“A constant throughout our 25 years at the Athlone restaurant has been our loyal customer base, made up of local stalwarts, who have visited the restaurant often several times a week and have very much become part of ‘the McFamily’ here.”
The Athlone team’s commitment to serving the local community and the wider area has remained an “overarching focus” for the restaurant since 1999, according to Rawle.
“We take great pride in the longstanding relationships we have forged and nurtured with local schools, community groups and sports clubs,” he added. “We are proud to support and encourage them across the years, celebrating their achievements and all that they do to impact so positively on the lives of children and adults in the local area.”
Paying tribute to the staff at the restaurant, Rawle said: “I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to every member of our brilliant team at Athlone. They are a fantastic and enthusiastic team who always strive to deliver the best experience possible for our customers every day. Our success can be credited to them.”