McDonald's is set to close its longtime restaurant in Ocean City.
What will replace the Golden Arches?
There’s no word yet on what will happen to the sprawling McDonald’s property at Ninth Street and West Avenue in Ocean City after the restaurant closes.
Patrick Powers, operator and owner of the McDonald’s restaurant, issued a statement confirming social media reports that the business will shut down.
“After 47 years of serving the Ocean City community, the 900 West Ave. restaurant is closing. I’m deeply thankful to our loyal customers and to our hardworking crew members who show up every day with dedication to serve our community. All crew members are being offered new job opportunities at other McDonald's restaurants in the area," the statement said.
McDonald’s said workers are being offered continued employment through Dec. 15, indicating that the restaurant will close on Monday. However, social media posts by a McDonald’s manager and others say that the restaurant is shutting down on Sunday.
Neither Powers nor McDonald’s could be reached for comment on the future of the restaurant site.
Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian said the McDonald’s corporation does not yet know what it will do with the property. The city has received no application for construction or demolition or any other change for the site, he added.
Linda Romain, a manager at McDonald’s and three-year employee, said she found out that Sunday will be her last day. She noted that her “heart hurts.”
“Got the worst news today at my job. The McDonald's is closing. Sunday will be the last day. Sad that is so close to Christmas. (The) hardest part is gonna be to find another job around this time. I've been there for 3 years,” Romain posted on her Facebook page on Wednesday.
Gillian said in a statement Friday that the city has learned McDonald’s “will close after the weekend.”
“We have been in touch with representatives of the corporation, who have assured us that they will work to provide jobs to all employees at other McDonald’s locations in the area,” he said.
The mayor noted that he has been in touch with David Hughes, the CEO of Shore Medical Center, who said he would work with the city to organize a job fair, if necessary, for McDonald’s employees.
“In addition, I’ve coordinated with OCNJ CARE and the Ocean City Ecumenical Council Food Cupboard, who are also prepared to help out if needed,” Gillian said, referring to community groups that assist local families with food and clothing.
McDonald's is located along the Ninth Street entryway into Ocean City.Although Powers owns the restaurant, The Press of Atlantic City reported that city tax records show the property is owned by McDonald’s Real Estate Company of Columbus, Ohio, and last sold in 2014 for just over $2 million.
The McDonald’s restaurant occupies the high-profile corner of Ninth and West, entering the downtown business district on the busy Ninth Street corridor.
The prime spot would seem to lend itself to a sale or redevelopment, meaning that the old restaurant building will likely be demolished and replaced with modern commercial construction – following the path of other new projects lining the Ninth Street entryway in recent years.
City Council Vice President Pete Madden, who is also the broker-owner of Goldcoast Sotheby’s International Realty in Ocean City, said the large lot size and its prominent location offer many possibilities for commercial development.
“I think it’s a home run for the location,” Madden said. “It’s a large lot and gives you a lot of options for what to do there.”
Madden emphasized that he does not know at this time what will ultimately happen to the property. He hopes it will remain as some type of commercial development.
The McDonald’s property is located within Ocean City’s so-called Drive-in Business Zone, a commercial district that generally allows retail stores, offices and restaurants. They are the types of businesses that heavily rely on drive-in customers, hence the name for the zone.
The McDonald’s restaurant isn’t the only high-profile property overlooking the Ninth Street entryway whose future is uncertain.
The former Republic Bank building, across the street from McDonald’s on the opposite side of Ninth and West, has been up for sale since it closed in September 2024. The sale price is $4 million.
The sale listing for the former bank touts the building’s highly coveted location as well as the different potential uses for the property.
“(This) property offers a prime flagship location for businesses looking to establish a dominant presence in Ocean City’s busiest retail corridor. With three separate entrances, it provides exceptional flexibility and accessibility, making it ideal for a variety of uses, including a flagship retail store, bank branch, corporate office, boutique medical or wellness center, showroom, or other specialty business,” the listing says.
Featuring a glassy facade, the former Republic Bank building is one of the high-profile properties on the Ninth Street corridor. Its sale price is $4 million.
