Not Everyone Is Happy McDonald’s Is Coming To Pawcatuck

Summer moviegoers will soon have one more option for a quick meal, but not everyone is happy with the choice. 

McDonald’s announced in late May, that a new restaurant located on Voluntown Road near and will open in mid-July. Signs of construction are evident at the location and a banner outside says the location is now hiring.

The restaurant will become the fifth McDonald’s in a 10-radius, and some people think that is too many.

“That McStinks,” Maria McDonnell Giesing wrote on Stonington-Mystic Patch’s Facebook page. “There are others just a few miles away in every direction! I'm betting it will mostly get the post-movie teen crowd and beach traffic.”

Many people agreed with Giesing saying they would love to see something go in the spot that wasn’t a already in southeastern Connecticut such as a Whole Foods, Barnes and Noble or Trader Joe’s.

“Trader Joe's sounds good and so does Barnes and Noble, I'm for anything we don't already have in southeastern CT!,” Corey Sipe wrote.

Others expressed concern over the development and worried that visitors won’t see the beautiful town locals have come to love.

“Already plenty of make do hamburgers in the area,” Mike Hanna wrote. “Can’t we stop with the unnecessary development.”

According to McDonald’s Spokesperson Nicole DiNoia the restaurant will be a little different from older constructed McDonald’s.

“This restaurant will have several “green” elements including LED interior signs and energy saving appliances,” DiNoia said. “The restaurant is typical of newly constructed McDonald’s restaurants with its environmentally-friendly footprint."

Some of the measures the restaurant will take to create a low carbon footprint include attention to where the food comes from, use of energy efficient appliances and attention on packaging, waste and recycling.

According to the company’s environmental fact sheet 100 percent of the fish for McDonald’s in the U.S. comes from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries, the restaurant will match 30 percent of the electricity used to buy renewable energy credits and purchases 29 percent of its packaging materials from recycled content. The complete environmental fact sheet is available as a pdf.

“ I think it is a bold and honest move by McDONALD'S and good for them...,” L.a. Teal wrote when she hard it would be a ‘green McDonalds.”