U.S. Marines stormed the Hill neighborhood and raised the Stars and Stripes flag high over sizzling cheeseburgers.
The few and the proud joined a cast of local movers and shakers to mark the conquest of Kimberly Avenue by a revamped McDonald’s. After four months of rehabbing, the restaurant’s community-minded owners celebrated a grand reopening Tuesday morning.
“We’re going to try to give back to the community what the community gives to us,” said Santiago Negre (at center in photo next to Mayor John DeStefano). Negre and his brother Russell own not only this McDonald’s, but nine more in southern Connecticut. The brothers rehired 60 people to staff the Kimberly Avenue restaurant and announced an ongoing partnership with Hill Regional Career High School.
The Negre brothers formally presented checks of $500 each to the Ronald McDonald House’s representative and to Career High Principal Michael Ceraso.
Acknowledging the spirit of service that animates this franchise, DeStefano called the McDonald’s store “part of the fabric of our lives.” (He also joked that the actor playing Ronald, who emceed the festive event, needed to work both on his act and his hair.)
Along with the mayor, some 60 people turned out, including Hill Alderwoman Dolores Colon, the chiefs of police and fire and school officials.
The Negres have operated the restaurant for four years. Before the 38-year-old building underwent modernization, the brothers sponsored local chess tournaments and a much looked-forward-to Three Kings Day celebration, participated in fundraisers for area schools, and held workshops on nutrition and entrepreneurship for Career students.
The “adoption” of Career High, said its principal Ceraso, will mean an extension of that partnership. With Career’s focus on health sciences and nutrition and business technology, he said, he looks forward to the Negres and others from the company bringing “practical applications to be taught in class.”
The new building has light yellow-mustard colors, cute awnings on the front facade, and a design that Sarah Melnitsky, from the Cronin and Company p.r. firm serving McDonald’s, termed “forever young.”
Russell Negre (pictured) was pleased also with the McCafe feature of the new building, which he described as the firm’s venture into espresso-based coffee.
“McDonald’s,” he added, “is trying to pick it up for a more sophisticated [clientele].”
He pointed to a “help board” above the McCafe area in Spanish and English to describe the caffeinated options for people unfamiliar with the world of cappuccinos.
Was Career’s Ceraso concerned with his health science-based school’s partnership with the world’s biggest fast food chain? He said that fast food in its older forms was not good for people. “Our kids and the whole [New Haven Public Schools] system are aware of teen obesity.”
“I’m comfortable with the new partnership,” he said. “It’s an extension of what we already have.”
Sakinah Abdulkhaliq (at left in photo), who goes to the Microsociety School, performed with the the Boys and Girls Club double Dutch team. Also attending were two beauty pageant winners, Ayanna Blowes and her mom Shawn Blowes (both in photo, at right), Little Miss Connecticut and Americas Classic Liberty Ms., respectively.
NHI, you are just baiting us with this story.
There is an unnecessary 'e' at the end of McDonald's in the second para.