'Kingsport is that kind of community...'

In my last column I reported Kingsport's first McDonald's opened in May 1962 at 2330 Fort Henry Drive.I've since learned the restaurant had a three-day grand opening three months later, in August.Why the delay?"Our parking lot paving is now completed giving easy access to Fort Henry Drive, as well as Dewey Ave. and Warpath Drive," an ad promoting the grand opening event announced.The draw, other than "America's 'goodest' hamburger," was a promise of free "handy plastic car trays" to each customer and free balloons for children.If all that weren't enough to pull in customers, McDonald's early selling points included "no car hops...no tipping," and "everything is so inviting...so convenient...so spotlessly clean. The service is instant and friendly. The top quality food is prepared to your taste right before your eyes."Yes, you could see right into the food preparation area, thanks to 900-sqaure-feet of quarter-inch plate glass in the building's design, which followed that of the 320 other McDonald's already in operation across the nation (in 35 states) when the Kingsport store was constructed.According to an article published in the Kingsport Times News on Sunday, Dec. 17, 1961, construction had begun on the $125,000 restaurant.Ray A Kroc, then board chairman for Chicago-based McDonald's, said Kingsport's store was part of an nationwide expansion aimed at attracting families to the chain's 10-item menu (including the 15-cent hamburger)."It is natural that Kingsport should play a major part in our expansion program," Kroc said. "Kingsport is a solid, substantial family community, the kind of city which seems almost made to order for a McDonald's restaurant.It was the fifth McDonald's in Tennessee. The other for locations were in Knoxville and Memphis.The article from December 1961 used a contributed photo showing a McDonald's with the famous sign reading "Over 400 Million Sold."The restaurant was equipped to produce up to 6,000 hamburger a day, with customers told they could expect to get a burger, fries and milk shake served within 50 seconds. A "typical" McDonald's at the time drew more than 300,000 cars each year."It is vitally important to McDonald's to invest in the right kind of community - with plenty of schools, churches and civic spirit," Kroc said. "Kingsport is that kind of community, and we are proud and pleased to become part of it."