City welcomes golden arches at grand opening

Submitted by Willspoint1 on

Ronald McDonald gave a helping hand to Wills Point McDonald’s owner Kevin Lilly Aug. 2.

By David Kapitan, Staff Writer

The wheels of progress continued to churn locally Aug. 2, with a special grand opening held for the newly constructed McDonald's restaurant located at the corner of Highway 80 and S. 4th St.

The event, which lasted approximately 30 minutes before the restaurant opened to the public, included plenty of pomp and circumstance with special performances by both the Tiger Band’s percussion ensemble and WPHS cheerleaders, presentations and announcements before the store’s official opening.

Owners of the Wills Point restaurant, Kevin and Jeaneane Lilly, were in attendance and offered up a word of thanks to the community for their support to turn the project into a reality.

The location is the 19th for the Lilly’s, joining locations owned in Athens, Buffalo, Canton, Corsicana, Crockett, Ennis, Gun Barrel City, Kaufman, Mabank, Malakoff, Trinity and Whitehouse, two locations in Palestine, and four locations in the Tyler area.

Kicking events off, the Tiger Band percussion ensemble gave a spirited performance followed by a McDonald’s-themed cheer from the WPHS cheerleaders.

Owner Kevin Lilly then addressed the crowd, sharing words of appreciation for all the people that made the opening possible, including the mayor, city council, Wills Point EDC and Wills Point Chamber of Commerce among others.

In recognition of his father’s service (21 years in the United States Air Force), Lilly explained that each of his stores flies the American flag. Boy Scout Troop 381 was then asked to raise the American flag while the national anthem was played.

Lilly went on to introduce the various members of his McDonald’s team before introducing Wills Point Mayor Mark Turner to say a few words.

Turner explained the lengthy process of bringing to McDonald’s the Wills Point area, and thanked the Lillys for bringing an international icon to the community. Turner wrapped his presentation by presenting a key to the city to the Lillys.

Following the opening ceremonies, the doors to the new McDonald’s were opened to the public. People took the opportunity to not only grab their favorite meals off the menu, but also pose for pictures with beloved McDonald’s favorites Ronald McDonald, Grimace, and the Hamburglar.