Construction at the International Falls McDonald’s is underway to remodel and expand the building.
“We’ll be doing a major remodel of the entire restaurant,” said Allan Reini, director of personnel for CLK Management Co., based in Hibbing. CLK’s owners, Chuck and Bonnie Klinefelter, purchased the Falls restaurant in September and own other McDonald’s locations in Northern Minnesota. “The I Falls location is at the absolute perfect age for remodeling — it’s 15 years old; a good building, but at a great age for a remodel.”
The project, which began earlier this month, includes a remodeled and updated indoor playground, PlayPlace; additions to the drive-thru area; and a larger space for seating. The expansion of the restaurant will come with a new look for the exterior. Inside, construction takes place at the lobby, front counter, kitchen and bathrooms.
“There are a lot of new remodeling and refreshing projects in McDonald’s across the nation, and we’re taking part in it,” Reini said. “From an appearance standpoint, we want to create an absolute outstanding customer experience.”
The time frame for construction is a couple of months or so, he said. The first phase includes some exterior work and parts of the lobby. On some days, the restaurant is operating with reduced hours. PlayPlace is closed for about a month during the remodel.
“We will stay open for almost all of this remodel,” Reini said. “There will be times when we will be drive-thru only when we’re working on the interior, or only interior when we’re doing the drive-thru. But we are going to stay open pretty much the whole time.”
This summer, as the project comes to an end, job opportunities are expected to arise, Reini said.
“As we open up again, our goal and our plan is to be even busier,” he said. “There will be opportunities for some great smiling faces.”
