The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of McDonald's on College Avenue, State College: A History
The story of the McDonald's at 442 E. College Ave. in State College is one of fast food, student life, and the ever-changing landscape of a university town. From its prominent location to its recent closure and potential rebirth, this particular McDonald's holds a unique place in the hearts (and stomachs) of Penn State students and the State College community.
The Closing of an Era
In late 2024, signs appeared on the doors of the McDonald's at 442 E. College Ave. simply stating, "This location is closed." The closure marked the end of an era for many, particularly Penn State students who frequented the fast-food restaurant. The news spread quickly, prompting a wave of nostalgia and even a bit of mourning.
A Candlelight Vigil for a Cheeseburger
The closure of the downtown McDonald's sparked a unique response from the Penn State student body. On a Sunday evening, close to a hundred students gathered for a "candlelight vigil" outside the closed restaurant. Organized by Penn State social media accounts, the event was intended to "join the community in remembering McDonald's legacy" as the "Penn State community mourns the closing of the beloved downtown McDonald's."
Students broke out into chants about Big Macs, singing "Amazing Grace" and the fast food joint’s signature “I’m lovin’ it” jingle. In between were speeches and even a brief “f--- your high-rise” chant, all while students held up lit candles and their phone flashlights.
Among the items left on the front windows of the building were candles, a stuffed Nittany Lion, and a half-eaten cheeseburger, along with a few sticky notes thanking the establishment for "all the Sunday lunches" and "the gainz." This wasn't the first time Penn State students had paid tribute to a closed eatery in such a way; in 2020, students collectively mourned the closure of downtown’s Taco Bell with a vigil that made its way to the national news and “Saturday Night Live.”
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The Future: A High-Rise and a Potential Rebirth
The closure of the McDonald's is directly tied to a major development project planned for the corner of East College Avenue and Sowers Street. Landmark Properties, a Georgia-based off-campus housing developer, proposed a 12-story, mixed-use high-rise called The Mark. Plans submitted to the borough in 2022 call for the demolition of the McDonald’s building, the Keystone Building at 444 E. College Ave., and the Armenara Building.
McDonald’s Corporation completed the sale of its building to The Mark at State College LLC in mid-October for $12 million.
However, amidst the sadness and protests, a glimmer of hope emerged. Plans for the new building include 19,955 square feet of commercial space on the first and second floors. A design rendering showed McDonald’s at the same street-level corner location it currently occupies. “Today we lose but tomorrow we rejoice, there’s a new McDonald’s coming in,” a student yelled, followed by some cheers and also confused looks, as not everyone realized it would be replaced.
State College Planning Director Ed LeClear told StateCollege.com that Landmark is currently working on a final plan submission. The 155-foot building will be mixed use, as a multi-family residential apartment building with commercial and retail space.
McDonald's Beyond Downtown State College
For those still looking to get their Big Mac fix, there are still three McDonald’s in the State College area. One sits at 2167 S. Atherton St., one’s at 1615 N. Atherton St., and one’s at 2821 E. College Ave. McDonald’s has five other locations in Centre County, including three in the State College area at 1615 N. Atherton St., 2167 S. Atherton St. and 2821 E.
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A Brief History of McDonald's
To understand the significance of a McDonald's closing, it's helpful to understand the history of the fast-food giant itself. The story begins with brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, who moved to California seeking opportunity. After a failed attempt in the movie business, they found success operating drive-in restaurants.
In 1948, they took a risk by streamlining their operations and introducing their Speedee Service System, featuring 15-cent hamburgers. At their San Bernardino location, they perfected this system, offering a limited menu of hamburgers, shakes, and fries. The restaurant’s success led the brothers to begin franchising their concept-nine becoming operating restaurants.
The McDonald brothers insisted that their architect design an attention catching building that would highlight their Speedee Service System. Architect Stanley Meson design of the “Red and White” did not disappoint. Feeling that the roof line was a bit too flat Dick McDonald added arches to the building. A sign maker incorporated yellow neon into them creating the “Golden Arches”.
Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman, entered the picture in 1954. Fascinated by the McDonald's operation, he became their franchise agent. Kroc opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. Kroc’s vision was that there would be 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants solely in the United States. Yet, McDonald’s continued to grow and expand into international markets beginning in 1967 opening in Canada and Puerto Rico.
McDonald’s introduced the new Mansard Roof Design in 1969 in Matteson, Illinois. Initially, many franchisees remodeled their existing Red and White buildings to reflect the new design. McDonaldland Parks (Play Places) and the Drive-Thru were added to the restaurant during the 1970s. McDonald’s restaurants feature designs that incorporate existing architecture and other unique features.
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State College: A Borough Steeped in History
The story of the McDonald's on College Avenue is also intertwined with the history of State College itself. State College is a borough and home rule municipality in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name of the Nittany Valley and its most prominent feature, Mount Nittany, comes from either Shawnee, Iroquois, or Lenape.
The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania was founded in 1855 on 400-acres of land in what was Harris Township. In 1875, College Township formed, taking up most of what is now State College. In 1885, the Pennsylvania Railroad opened a train station two miles from campus in Lemont on the Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad. Construction of the train station on West College Avenue was finally completed in 1892, connecting State College to the Bellefonte Central Railroad (BCRR) via Struble. In 1909 the hilly area south of Downtown began to be developed under the name Highland Park. The borough began expanding in 1916 with annexations from Ferguson and College Township. In 1917 the borough added the Hamilton, Highland Park, and South Side additions to its boundary.
The Borough of State College has twelve neighborhoods and half of University Park. The Highlands have around ten thousand people, making it the largest neighborhood in the borough, followed by Downtown and Orchard Park. The Holmes-Foster-Highlands Historic District includes parts of Holmes-Foster, the Highlands, and the West End. Part of College Heights makes up the College Heights Historic District which was created in 1935 and features the College Heights Service Station. It took six annexations from College Township from 1930 to 1968 to officially bring the South End and Nittany Hills (also Penfield) neighborhoods in the borough.
The 2010s saw a construction boom downtown, with several mixed-use towers developed, including Rise, Metropolitan, Fraser Centre, and Here State College, and others. The Downtown area has seen large protests over past the couple of decades, particularly at the Allen Street Gates and the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.
State College Today
According to the 2010 census, there were 42,034 people, 12,610 households, and 3,069 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9,258.6 inhabitants per square mile (3,574.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 83.2% White, 3.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.8% Asian, 1.0% Other, and 2.0% from two or more races. Pennsylvania State University is the largest single employer in the region, employing over 27,000 full- and part-time workers as of 2016.
The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, usually referred to as "Arts Fest", is held downtown every July. State College's daily newspaper is Centre Daily Times, first published in 1898.
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