McDonald’s wants to reduce drive-thru backups when it rebuilds its Concord Pike restaurant. Ken Mammarella photo
McDonald’s wants to rebuild its Concord Pike restaurant, destroyed by fire in January, in a way that will reduce a drive-thru line that often backed up onto the busy highway in Talleyville.
“A plan is being prepared for submission that would three parcels including the current restaurant parcel and the adjacent office building parcel, using both for the restaurant and drive-thru stacking,” County Council member Dee Durham wrote in her latest newsletter.
“Stacking” refers to developing places for vehicles to wait in the drive-thru line.
The restaurant is operated by the family-owned Dukart Management Corp., which did not respond to requests for comment.
Dukart has an office building next to the restaurant, and the plan filed with New Castle County shows it being razed.
McDonald’s filed this map, prepared by Bohler, with New Castle County.
What McDonald’s plans
The plan’s map shows a single entrance and exit for 2507 (the restaurant) and 2525 (the office building) Concord Pike, on the southwest corner. Drivers would circle the restaurant to place orders and circle it again to get orders.
The drive-thru would start with two lanes and then merge into one nearer pickup.
The planning document says 20 spaces are required for stacking, and McDonald’s is planning 24.
The exploratory minor land development plan calls for 20 variances. It will eventually go to the Board of Adjustment for review, Durham wrote.
The existing restaurant is 3,529 square feet, and the office building is 1,811 square feet, on parcels that add up to .77 acre. The new restaurant would be 3,883 square feet and would be up to 35 feet high, the same as the old one.
The number of parking spaces will remain at 24, but they’ll be moved around. The plan notes a restaurant of its size and indoor seating should have 51 spaces.
“The restaurant, which will only be slightly more square feet than the existing restaurant, will be situated in a way the owner believes will address the longstanding drive-thru backups on Concord Pike,” Durham wrote.
The Dukarts started Delaware’s first McDonald’s (on Newark’s Main Street in 1960) and the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.
Similar drive-thru backups have been observed at the Dunkin’ on Philadelphia Pike near Claymont.
