There aren’t many McDonald’s left that still look like this.
The location at 359 Agler Road in Gahanna has a giant golden arch wrapped around the building, a retro sign out front, and a walk-up window that feels like something from another era. While most of the chain has adopted the same gray, modern look, this one has remained almost untouched.
But that won’t be the case much longer.
The Gahanna Planning Commission has approved plans to demolish the restaurant and replace it with a new McDonald’s featuring the company’s current design.
What makes this rebuild a little bittersweet is that the Agler Road location isn’t just old.
It’s a McDonald’s Classic, a branding concept the company introduced decades ago. According to McDonald’s Wiki, a fan-run website dedicated to the chain, the Gahanna restaurant may be the last remaining McDonald’s Classic still in operation, although McDonald’s has not confirmed that.
The building itself predates the restaurant. Franklin County Auditor records show it was built in 1969 before becoming a McDonald’s in 1994.
The replacement building will be about twice the size of the current one and will continue to focus on drive-thru service. Plans include two ordering stations, two drive-thru windows, additional parking, and a self-service pickup window primarily for delivery drivers. Like the current restaurant, there won’t be any indoor dining.
The biggest change will be the look.
The oversized golden arch that has made the restaurant stand out for years will disappear, replaced by the darker, more understated design (also known as more millennial gray) that has become standard at newer McDonald’s locations across the country.
The operator told the planning commission that construction is expected to take about four months once work begins. A demolition date has not yet been announced.
