Copyright vernonmorningstar
They’re loving it up in Vernon’s Silver Star Gateway Business Park. The city’s third McDonald’s opened doors at 4823 Silver Star Rd., at 5 a.m. Thursdy, Oct. 30. Owner-operator Chris Erickson said it’s the seventh McDonald’s franchise his family has opened, with other locations in Vernon, Armstrong, Salmon Arm and Revelstoke. They opened a Salmon Arm location a year ago to the date. “We’re really proud to hire 50 local employees to put the team together to open this site,” he said. “A lot of youth employment and a number of full-time employees as well, so we’re really pleased with that.” Asked how it was determined that Vernon could support a third McDonald’s, Erickson said they’d done “quite a bit” of analysis on market support. Erickson said the new building features the latest and greatest in fast food chain technology. “The efficiencies in our back end, our kitchen area, are fantastic,” he said. “The technology in this building is unbelievable for us. It’s really been outstanding for the staff to work with.” The restaurant held an event for staff’s friends and family Wednesday evening. “It’s so nice for the employees’ families to come,” Erickson said. “We’ve had representatives from the city of Vernon, BX and Vernon Fire Rescue, and it’s just been a lot of fun.” Erickson said there’s been a lot of excitement in the community for the new franchise — and quite a few people have been trying to get in the building over the last few days, thinking it was open. “We’re just really excited to get rolling,” he said. “It’s Halloween this weekend. We’re really looking forward to a good turnout.” The McDonald’s is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
