McDonald’s breaks ground in Milton

The countdown is now officially on until the Golden Arches come to Milton.

Representatives from franchisee The Meoli Companies along with state and local officials gathered Aug. 26 at the construction site at the corner of Union Street Extended and Route 16 to officially break ground on the 4,000-square-foot restaurant.

Owner Mike Meoli said the McDonald’s is set to be open in mid- to late November, the 26th McDonald’s restaurant in the Meoli Companies portfolio. He said the Milton McDonald’s will support 60 to 70 jobs.

“I want to make sure the residents and the leaders of Milton know: we’re here,” Meoli said. “It’s very exciting. It’s my goal to show the residents of Milton that we are going to be a fantastic neighbor and we will absolutely be an important part of the community.”

Plans for the McDonald’s include using the existing entrances and exits to the shopping center, and installing stop marks along four of the drive aisles on the parcel. Stop marks will also be installed at the drive-thru entrance and exit. Access to the restaurant shows traffic coming off Union Street Extended to make a right into the far right lane of the shopping center. 

Site plans for the McDonald’s were first unveiled in October 2022, but the review process took a considerable amount of time, in part due to concerns about access to the parcel and safety issues caused by using the existing drive aisles.

Meoli said the inside of the restaurant will look similar to the Rehoboth Beach McDonald’s on Route 1, which Meoli Companies also owns. He said the store will be keeping with recent changes at McDonald’s across the country, where ordering is mostly done either via self-serve kiosks, via the company’s app or for delivery. 

Meoli said the growth in the Milton area has created a demand for McDonald’s in the area, and as more people are living in Milton full time, the time was right to set up a store there. He said he believes the McDonald’s will encourage people to explore downtown Milton, and that the presence of McDonald’s will only enhance downtown. 

Mayor John Collier said, “This is an interesting thing for the town of Milton. Growth is inevitable – it’s here. We are fortunate to have someone like Meoli Companies here and wanting to be a part of our community. Their reputation precedes them.”