McDonald’s on Rainier is open again after devastating fire

Big Mac has risen from the ashes of a storm-related fire last December that destroyed the McDonald’s restaurant on Rainier Avenue.

Although the restaurant opened for business on Oct. 21, dignitaries, including state Sen. Margarita Prentice, and well-wishers gathered Wednesday for a grand opening. The roughly 50 in attendance received tours of what’s touted as one of McDonald’s new state-of-the-art restaurants. Of course, there were samples.

There’s still one more grand opening, this one for customers 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 8, at the restaurant at 73 Rainier Ave. S. Ronald McDonald will attend and special activities are planned.

The new McDonald’s will employe about 50 workers, including many who were displaced by the fire last December, according to Lupe Morales, operations manager for McDonald’s in the Seattle area. Many of those workers worked at other local McDonald’s in the interim.

Salvaged from the fire was the “iconic” McDonald’s sign, Morales said.

The restaurant has a long history at that location. “It’s such a community restaurant,” she said.

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Contact Renton Reporter Editor Dean Radford at editor@rentonreporter.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5050.

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