MARLBORO, NJ — The Marlboro McDonald’s is back and brand new, and the owners are celebrating with a grand opening event on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Anthony and Alana Marinello, owners and operators of the rebuilt McDonald’s at 78 Route 9, will be the hosts. And you can expect to see Grimace the Hamburglar, too.
The new 4,320-square-foot restaurant has a refreshed design and modern layout, with two drive-thru lanes and curbside ordering available, according to a news release from the company.
The fun starts at 11 a.m. with many activities, such as music, food prizes and the announcement of the winner of a two-year car lease.
Township officials will be on hand for the ribbon-cutting, and Mayor Jon Hornik even posted on Facebook a few months ago about his fond memories of the original McDonald’s that came into town when his father, Saul Hornik, was mayor.
The Marinellos own several McDonald’s franchises in the area. In addition to their Marlboro restaurant, which they purchased in 2016, they own and operate McDonald’s restaurants on Route 34 in Aberdeen, Route 36 in Union Beach and Middletown, Route 35 in Hazlet and Route 9 in Old Bridge.
In Marlboro, customers have already been enjoying the new restaurant, according to the restaurant’s Facebook site. There are digital kiosks, table service, and touch screen games for kids inside the dining room.
After a groundbreaking this spring, the restaurant also began a sweepstakes for a top prize of a pre-paid, two-year lease of a Honda HRV-LX. The winner will be announced at the event. The owners also at the time donated $1,000 to Marlboro’s Firehouse Department to recognize the department’s service to the community.
As New Jersey-based small business owners, the Marinellos have a four-decade history of operating McDonald’s restaurants and supporting their local communities, a spokesperson for the restaurant said.
The family regularly holds McTeachers Nights and supports reading programs for local middle school students across all of their restaurants.
They also work frequently with local organizations to provide support. For example, each Thanksgiving, the Marinellos partner with several McDonald’s owner/operators to supply 1,000 turkeys to Fulfill, which helps provide to food banks in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.