BIG BEND CONTRACTOR BUILDS CHICAGO RESTAURANT FOR MCDONALD’S
50TH AS SCHWABE CELEBRATES 35 YEARS WORKING WITH MCDONALD’S
(Big Bend, Wisconsin) – Whether you are a baby boomer,
an old timer, or one of our youth, the ‘Golden Arches’
of McDonald’s restaurants are an icon we all know and
recognize. On Friday, April 15, 2005, as part of McDonald’s
Corporation’s 50th anniversary event, a newly built
flagship restaurant with 60-foot high arches was opened to
the press and public in downtown Chicago, 600 North Clark
Street.
The general contractor chosen to build this highly visible
restaurant was Peter Schwabe, Inc. of Big Bend, Wisconsin.
With over 800 McDonald’s restaurants built throughout
the country, Peter Schwabe, Inc. is as familiar with McDonald’s
construction as the Golden Arches are with all of us.
Along with McDonald’s 50th, Peter Schwabe, Inc. is
celebrating its 35th anniversary of working with the Golden
Arches. According to Peter Schwabe, Inc. president, Dan Schwabe,
“Peter Schwabe, Inc. has been a longtime supplier to
McDonald’s and we’re proud of being a part of
their history.”
John Miologos, Vice President of McDonald’s Worldwide
Architecture, Design and Construction, said, “McDonald’s
philosophy has always depended on the three-legged stool –
our suppliers, our owner-operators and our employees. Building
on that philosophy, Peter Schwabe Inc. was chosen and has
been a long and valued supplier for our system for the past
35 years. As part of reviewing project criteria, we looked
at their ability to deliver this project on-time and in-budget,
reflecting the vision of the design,” Miologos said.
This project was the vision of McDonald’s late CEO
Jim Cantalupo, and ties the present with the past by incorporating
the classic red and white design of Ray Kroc’s first
building with a 21st century, high-tech restaurant. The restaurant
was dedicated in honor of Cantalupo.
“This is anything but a typical McDonald’s restaurant,”
according to on-site project superintendent, Duane Nelson.
“Each arch is 60 feet high and weighs 42 tons. The arches
and 90 foot steel trusses actually hold up the front roof.”
On the opposite end, the basement floor of the 24,000 square
foot, two-story restaurant contains 30 inches of concrete
with 25 tons of rebar.
More visible restaurant features include 300 seats, a green
roof, big screen TV’s, gelato/cappuccino bar, meeting/work
spaces, two elevators and escalators, glass panels (75) from
Germany weighing 800 pounds each, a double lane drive-thru,
a historic walk-around area featuring novelty items from the
last 50 years, to name a few.
“We are grateful for our 35 year relationship with
McDonald’s,”added Schwabe, “and we’re
so proud of this unique restaurant.”
Peter Schwabe, Inc. is a general contractor and design/build
construction firm serving various segments of the real estate
development industry and other markets including commercial
office, retail, restaurant, banking, industrial and religious
facilities. Since 1927, Peter Schwabe, Inc. has provided construction
services to clients locally, in the Midwest, and throughout
the country.
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