Downey : Preservationists Don’t Want Hamburger Stand to Go
Nostalgia buffs and historians have scheduled a rally at noon Sunday to show support for saving Downey’s landmark McDonald’s restaurant.
The hamburger stand, with its neon arches and red-and-white tile walls, is the oldest operating McDonald’s built in the original architectural style of the fast-food chain.
McDonald’s corporate officials are considering closing or remodeling the stand because it is not making money. The restaurant lacks indoor seating and a drive-through window, standard features in modern fast-food outlets.
Downey officials and preservation groups want the restaurant kept open and intact. The purpose of the rally is “to let the McDonald’s corporation know what a cultural icon this is,†said Gregg Davidson, associate director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit historic preservation group. “This McDonald’s is a symbol to the world of American ingenuity and industry.â€
The rally will take place in front of the 40-year-old restaurant at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue.
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