'Technical Difficulties' delay Big Mac's campus premiere

Charles C. Labenz Arizona Daily Wildcat Yesterday's grand opening of the new McDonald's in the Memorial Student Union was not too grand. The opening had to be delayed because the restaurant has not yet passed a state fire inspection. Second assistant manager David Gomez (left) and shift manager Sharif Ahmed sit at a table and drink orange juice instead of working.

Not yet.

An incomplete fire marshal inspection delayed the anticipated Monday opening of the first on campus McDonald's, located on the top floor of the Memorial Student Union.

McDonald's supervisor Lambert Stooksbury said the delay would not last more than two or three days, but would not comment further.

Arizona Student Unions Director Dan Adams said, "There are still some check-offs that have to be completed by the fire marshal.

"To open on the 27th was a big push," he added. "Everyone is a little disappointed, but this is not a serious impediment to opening."

Pete Ashcroft, Southern Arizona supervisor of the state fire marshal's office, said he did not know the details of the McDonald's delay, but, in general, "People don't realize what they have to do to get a store open.

"They get caught with their pants down."

Ashcroft said some of the major problems that could delay opening include hood suppression systems, which put out grill fires, fire alarms and sprinkler systems.

Incomplete inspections are nothing unusual and the delays are usually short, Ashcroft said.

Adams said workers have been preparing the restaurant day and night for the past month for an Oct. 27 opening.

Signs hanging in the windows yesterday read: "Sorry For The Inconvenience. We Are Closed Due To Technical Difficulties."

Yet students still walked up and pulled on the door handle, peering inside the store, which appeared to be ready for business.

"It's not really an inconvenience," said pre-pharmacy junior Brian Sessions, "There's one across the street, so we'll just go there."

Other students said they weren't surprised at the delay.

"They rushed," said Noah Stromer, a microbiology senior. "It's not very surprising it didn't open on time."

Communication Senior John Salwin said he was looking forward to seeing what the store had and was "sort of depressed" it was not yet open.

Other students said they were upset at the delay, but would just get something somewhere else.

One crew member and a few shift managers showed up for work this morning and sat around the lobby tables before leaving for the day. By noon, there were only two people in the front of the store.

David Schmidle, who owns the McDonald's and three others in the area, could not be reached for comment.