We are ready, Tracy Johnstone said. The sign went up by the road Monday, the kitchen is set up and the food is delivered and we re making sure everything is just right. It just doesn t get any better than this. And, of course, we want to give away those prizes.
The new store replaces the McDonald s that sat a few blocks to the south near U.S. 231 for 44 years. It served its last burger on May 9 before closing so the equipment that was still in great shape it was purchased after Hurricane Michael could be moved to the new location and employees could be trained on the new systems.
The couple moved to the area five years ago to open the signature biscuit eatery. The 32-year-old Schirtzingers paid for all travel, hotel rooms on the Disney property, three-day park passes, a character breakfast with Minnie, Mickie, Donald and Daisy for their 22 employees and their families a total of 46 people.
“We’d be nowhere without them,” Cara Schirtzinger said. She added, “Eighty percent of restaurants fail in the first five years …, so it was a big milestone for us.”
The planned celebration was a bold one, especially during a time when local businesses are decreasing their operating hours and closing their doors more frequently each week to offset the lack of employees because of rising costs of materials and unemployment fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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PANAMA CITY When the McDonald s on State 77 across from the Panama City Mall closed its doors for good Sunday after selling its last cheeseburger, it went for a flat $1 (plus tax). In June 1977 when it opened its doors 44 years ago, the same item sold for about 33 cents.
What Tracy and Tim Johnstone want residents to know is that when the grand opening is held May 27 at the new location just up the street at Bay City Point, the biggest change won t be in pricing, it will be in the dining and savoring experience that comes with the newest and most advanced equipment.