Newly Constructed McDonald’s Opens

After undergoing construction at a breakneck pace, the new on the corner of Camden Avenue and Lenola Road opened last Tuesday.

The original McDonald’s——first opened in 1967 and had undergone minor face lifts throughout the decades. But after 44 years, the aging building was looking a bit tired and worn, so a hipper version of Mickey D’s was designed, which conformed to an updated corporate model.

“I worked with personnel referred by the corporation in coming up with the layout. And obviously, we also had to conform with the township’s codes. It made sense to build new, instead of revamping again," says owner Mark Grenon, who declined to talk expenditures but says the project costs were "significant."  

Down with the arches
The new eatery is strewn with blond and brunette wood tones with earth-colored tiles. Stone facades surround the counters and some of the wall space. 

Fresh and modern cafe tables are flanked by booth seating, with a dining capacity of 65. Contemporary ceiling lights with ivory shades add a fashionable element.

Outside improvements reflect new shrubbery, landscape lighting and a restructured parking lot featuring a circular drive, which directs traffic for a right-hand turn onto Camden Avenue—alleviating any backup traffic in the lot. 

The drive-through features two new ordering points, adding enhanced and quicker service.

“Improving customer service was paramount,” says Grenon, 52, who took ownerhip of the restaurant in 1995.

Gaining that supersize perception
Grenon acknowledged one of McDonald's core problems, which remains no secret: The company still struggles with its image. In a stale economy, people are looking for cheaper ways to eat out, but customers still put a premium on freshness and taste. 

“We want our customer base to recognize us as a quick service restaurant, rather than a fast food place,” says Grenon, who also owns another franchise on Torresdale Avenue in Philadelphia. “We try to come up with ways to offer better quality and change perceptions and try to appeal to a larger scale of people.” 

Gone are the days when sandwiches were kept warm with heat lamps, Grenon explains. The new store has improved computers—acting as the nerve center for the technological menu—that elevate the “Made For You” ordering, keeping bread, lettuce, onions and other sandwich ingredients fresh and separate from cooked meats. As orders are received, meat, buns and the fixings are assembled. 

In recent years, another marketing niche, the McCafé—touting premium roast drip coffee, cappucinos and lattes—has been a successful campaign in an effort to compete with Starbucks and other upscale coffee shops.  

“The coffee bars do quite well,” Grenon says of his beverage station. “These are strategies that the company keeps working on to achieve higher standards.” 

A spark to new development
Running a McDonald’s franchise can be rewarding, fast-paced and very challenging, says Grenon, who lives in Mount Laurel with his wife, Nancy, and two daughters.

Born in Minneapolis, Grenon’s father was an executive with General Mills. The family lived in Montreal—because his parents were fluent in French—before eventually settling in South Jersey.

In 1976, like many teens, Grenon got a job at a McDonald’s grilling burgers and waiting on customers, where he established himself as a diligent worker. 

“I did everything,” he says. “I basically moved up the ranks.” 

He spent a year at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, continued working for the corporation and became a store manager in Medford, before buying the Lenola property. He owned the McDonald’s in the Moorestown Mall until February 2010.

Grenon says he has hired 50 employees to staff the new restaurant. 

Grand opening food and beverage specials will be available for a limited time. And between 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, the Phillie Phanatic will be on hand to greet customers. 

Moorestown store manager Joe Tiver says the new look defines the corporation’s improvement of the brand and is counting on a favorable response in town.  

“The new store is a real advantage to this part of Moorestown,” Tiver, 50, adds, referring to the Lenola area.

In July, the reconstructed Main Street bridge on County Route 537 reopened. The bridge—which acts as a gateway connecting Moorestown and Maple Shade—along with the new McDonald’s, will hopefully heighten business activity in the area. 

“The brand new McDonald’s...can be a spark to new development in the Lenola town center,” Jake DerHagopian, chair of the Moorestown Economic Development Advisory Committe, wrote in a recent email. 

Store hours are 5 a.m to midnight daily.