Kirkwood McDonald's to shut doors

The double-decker McDonald's on Kirkwood Avenue will close May 10 after 16 years of business. \nStore owner Gerry Stieglitz said business has dropped significantly in the last five years or so. He said he chose to close the store, 420 E. Kirkwood Ave., on graduation day because it signifies the students leaving town.\nStieglitz, who also owns store locations in Martinsville and Nashville, Ind., said many factors contributed to the closing, but the "Big Dig" -- the storm sewer reconstruction project that closed Kirkwood Avenue for several months in 2000 -- hurt the store's business the worst. \nBusiness never bounced back, he said.\n"The 'Big Dig' really hurt us bad," Stieglitz said. "A lot of people have found different routes to go around town. There's not much traffic down here now."\nHe also attributed the sales decline to the large amount of construction in the area over the years -- such as the Monroe County Public Library expansion and Carmichael Center project. He said the closings of the Indiana and Von Lee theaters also hurt business.\n"People would go to a discount movie and pick up a burger on their way out," he said. "That just doesn't happen anymore."\nHe said the restaurants built along Fourth Street in the past 10 years also contributed to the store's decline.\nStieglitz said although the McDonald's in Read Center didn't take away from much of his customer base, it didn't help their situation. \n"Any time another store hit, it hurt us," he said.\nMelissa Daley, first assistant manager of the McDonald's in Read, said she believes the Kirkwood store closing will have little impact on their business.\n"It probably won't affect us as much as we would like because they are closing down the same time we are," Daley said.\nThe building will be turned over to the McDonald's corporation regional office in Indianapolis, which will decide the property's future.\nStieglitz said he notified his employees of the store closing last week. The employees' had three options: travel to a different location owned by Stieglitz, apply at a different Bloomington McDonald's location or search for a different job.\n"Some have already indicated they are traveling with me," he said.\nStieglitz said he will not post any signs that say the store is closing. He has instead begun to inform his regular customers of the situation. \n"They're disappointed," he said. "They're the customer base we've survived on."\nBloomington resident Michael Sullivan, who was playing chess at nearby People's Park on Kirkwood, said he believes the closing is a good thing.\n"The quality of food is not good," Sullivan said. "I hope they put something better in, like Taco Bell or a sandwich shop"