Jim Aaron's third franchise McDonald's restaurant opened Thursday morning, right off Highway 58 in Decatur, Tenn. - and it had been a long time coming.
"We feel like it's overlooked, and we should have been in here before," said Aaron. "I think we're way overdue."
Aaron owns McDonald's stores in Charleston, Tenn., and in Vonore, Tenn.
And the new Decatur restaurant is situated right between them, on a north-south axis.
Aaron lives in Loudon, Tenn., and is a longtime corporate McDonald's worker, having started at the company as an entry-level crew member back in the 1970s, making just over $2.30 an hour. He worked his way up through the ranks over the years, and he stayed with the fast-food chain through college, working and going to school at the same time.
Upon graduation, Aaron decided to stay with McDonald's and see where it took him.
And 38 years later, it delivered him to Decatur, on a Thursday afternoon, after a day of grand-opening ceremonies as an owner/operator. Meigs County High School athletes flooded the restaurant after school hours.
FILE - This Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 photo shows a McDonald's fast food restaurant sign in Chicago. The world’s biggest hamburger chain, which is in the midst of a turnaround plan, said Friday, May 8, 2015 that global sales at established locations open at least 13 months fell 0.6 percent in April. By region, the biggest drop was in the Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa, which fell 3.8 percent. Ongoing challenges in Japan were partially offset by strong results in Australia and other markets. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) "I'm in my early 50s," Aaron said, "and still having a blast."
Economic officials in Decatur were just as happy to see Aaron bring McDonald's into their community, which is just the third national chain restaurant (behind Hardee's and Subway) to open in the town.
"It's a very good thing for the community and the town," said Lisa Oliver, vice president at the Meigs County-Decatur Chamber of Commerce. "Decatur's a small town. We don't have a lot of businesses, especially franchise businesses, in our town."
Decatur has a population of nearly 1,600, and Meigs County has a population of nearly 12,000, according to the 2010 census.
So the investment in property and jobs is big for the community.
"We've been looking for something like this for quite a while," said Oliver. "There's not a lot in Decatur, so kids that want to work, they're very limited here."
Many high school-age workers travel to either Athens or Dayton for jobs, she said.
The new McDonald's created 65 local jobs.
"This one's right here in town, and it's going to mean a lot to the people here," said Oliver.
Tiffany Wade, president at the Chamber, said Thursday the new McDonald's has created a lot of buzz - and optimism - in the community.
"We hope it brings more retail trade to our community," she said. "It's got a huge impact on a small town, always. When you have a community as small as ours, anything that comes makes a huge difference."
Aaron said he loves giving back, which is why he went into franchising early last year after working for 37 years for McDonald's.
"It's really rewarding," he said. "I like to give back to my people. Somebody took a chance on me along the way. A lot of people did."
The Decatur McDonald's features state-of-the-art kitchen technology, he said, and the dining room features local sites and names. Aaron said he has no immediate plans to expand further in the area, but that expansion is controlled by the corporate side of the mega fast-food chain.
But he did say the Decatur store will continually accept applications and that "we've always got an eye for talent."
"We're always looking for good people," he said.
The new store is open around the clock.
Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.