It may be several more weeks before McDonald's golden arches grace Duke's campus. Although the restaurant had been scheduled to open in mid-October, delays and logistical setbacks have made that date unrealistic.
Owner-operator Ric Richards, who currently runs seven McDonald's restaurants in the Triangle area, said he can have it open and running by Thanksgiving.
The demolition and building permit plans for McDonald's, which underwent 29 revisions, were approved Monday by the City of Durham's Building Permit Department, said Associate Vice President for Auxiliary Services Joe Pietrantoni.
He expected that a contractor would be selected by the end of the week.
The contract between Duke and McDonald's was not finalized until July. Part of the delays occurred because the kitchen was originally designed to be shared by two restaurants, Burger King and The Rathskeller.
In the renovations, the communal kitchen had to be divided to fit the needs of both McDonald's and the Armadillo Grill.
"Plumbing, ventilation, electric.... Everything had to be restructured. It was an absolute nightmare to deal with," said Jim Wulforst, director of Dining Services, about the unexpected construction in the kitchen.
Originally, administrators had been hoping that McDonald's and Chipotle, a Tex-Mex chain owned by McDonald's, would share the kitchen. When Chipotle decided not to come to the University, Dining Services signed a contract with Armadillo Grill instead.
The November opening date isn't soon enough for some students.
"I'm looking forward to eating there, but I don't like the delay. Chick Fil-A is getting old," said Pratt freshman Andy Hogg.
Despite the long wait, Richards said he is sure his innovative design plan will make up for the delays.
Some of Richards' plans for this McDonald's include a plush eating area with leather couches, mood lighting and "Laptop Lane"-a cyberspace counter area where students can plug in their computers.
All food will be made-to-order, said Richards, using new technology like a powerful toaster that browns buns in less than 10 seconds.
A point-of-sale system, which instantly sends the order to the kitchen as soon as it is entered into the cash register, will ensure that service is efficient. Richards added that all of these bonuses will not raise the price of food higher than an off-campus McDonald's location.
Richards, School of Nursing '76, said he is eager to service the Duke student body and is looking to employ Duke students.
"Hopefully, it will be a place students will take care of and enjoy," Richards said. "I'm a loyal Dukie. That's what it boils down to. I'm working extremely hard to get this restaurant running and I'm hoping for Duke's cooperation."
Jaime Levy contributed to this story.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.