More than six months after Ringgold McDonald’s was demolished in the April 27 tornadoes, the Golden Arches are open again.
The restaurant at 5471 Alabama Hwy. officially opened Oct. 31.
Ringgold McDonald’s staff takes in the beauty around them inside the new store. From left are crew trainer Derrick Seitz, first assistant Summer Boyer, manager Jessika Seitz, manager Taylor Keown, operations consultant Jean Napier, operations manager Darlene McCannon, general manager Kelley Hollis, first assistant Chris Strickland and manager Tracy Johnson.“After the tornado I stood in the parking lot taking in the devastation around me,” said operations manager Darlene McCannon. “A little girl and her mother were there too. The girl asked her mother if the McDonald’s was going to come back. I walked over and told the little girl, ‘Yes, we will rebuild and we will be better than ever.'”
McCannon said beautiful landscaping in front of the store surrounds a reflection bench that signifies the tornado. Inman Landscape owner Steve Inman said the bench memorializes people that lost their lives in Ringgold April 27.
“I reflected and thanked God that more lives weren’t lost,” he said. “The landscape is a work in progress.”