World Photo by Lou Sennick

NORTH BEND — The new year marks a new era for the new McDonald’s restaurant in North Bend.

The recently completed business, which replaces the old building demolished in August, opened on New Year’s Day, a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

Rod Somerville, who owns the restaurant with his son, Scott, said he had expected to open about mid-January. He attributed the early opening to construction going smoothly and having no trouble getting permits.

“The North Bend Building Department was cooperative to work with,” Somerville said.

And that first day was busy despite the holiday.

“Usually New Year’s Day is a slow day,” Somerville said. “We had a great opening the first day.”

Upgrades to the restaurant include having two cashiers working the double drive-through who can take orders at the same time. There is a camera that takes photos of cars so cashiers can match orders to the vehicles. It also offers a full coffee-espresso line.

The restaurant employs 50, plus management — 15 more people than the old restaurant employed. Sixty to 75 percent of the employees are re-hires from the old McDonald’s, he said. Many of them had been placed at either the Wal-Mart in Coos Bay or downtown Coos Bay restaurants while the new McDonald’s was under construction, according to Somerville.

“Everybody’s happy,” Somerville said.

The original McDonald’s building was constructed on the corner of Broadway Street and Newmark Avenue in 1974. The Somervilles own five South Coast McDonald’s locations.

McDonald’s in North Bend is open 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday.