McDonald's newly renovated, 24-hour store on College Avenue will officially reopen next week with a Hollywood-themed ribbon cutting ceremony.
The renovations include a dining room with a sports-bar feel and flat-screen televisions on the first floor, outdoor café seating and an upstairs dining room featuring high-top tables, a television, a fireplace and bistro seating, according to the press release.
"It was down for about six months and now it's going to be state of the art," Bradley said.
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the 442 E. College Ave. location, according to a McDonald's press release.
"That restaurant has been around on College Avenue for a long time," Kerry Ford, McDonald's spokesperson, said. "It was time for us to revamp it and make it better than it was before."
Mascots Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar will arrive in a limousine and lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The Nittany Lion will also participate in the event, Tim Bradley, McDonald's spokesman, said.
"What we're doing next week is celebrating a brand-new site," Ford said. "We wanted to give it a star-studded opening."
The first 100 customers to enter will each win one Big Mac Extra-Value Meal every week for a year. Other guests have the chance to win door prizes such as an MP3 player, digital camera or pinball machine, according to the press release.
The renovated two-story restaurant will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will be staffed by more than 60 employees, according to the press release.
Jessica Ziemski (senior-crime, law and justice) said she thinks the upscale look of the new restaurant will attract more customers.
"People will hang out there more often," she said. "It's cheap, too, so that will encourage people to go."
Gregory Schwarz (junior-information sciences and technology) said also he thinks the venture will be successful.
"I think State College needs more venues like that for fast food," Schwarz said. "With Wendy's shutting down and then McDonald's closing, there was a void that needed to be filled."
