Daily Record FINANCIAL NEWS &
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016
Vol. 104, No. 004 • oNe SectioN
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
McDonald’ s adds kiosks, table delivery 69 Jacksonville area restaurants will convert next year
McDonald’s USA confirmed Thursday what obviously has been cooking for months. It is transforming restaurants to include kiosks for customers to place their orders and introducing table service for food to be delivered. The fast-food chain announced in New York it will add interactive technology, new premium ingredients and new restaurant
designs. The move has been expected, considering the city has been approving permits for Jacksonville McDonald’s stores to install the kiosks and make other changes. McDonald’s said it has been changing its menu and kitchens and now is investing in new service options, ingredients and technology. It said it would put “more choice and control in the hands of our customers.”
The company said McDonald’s restaurants in Florida, and specifically Jacksonville, already are making the transition. In Jacksonville, seven restaurants have completed the transformation and are using the new technology. While the technology is in use in 2,600 international restaurants, the McDonald’s stores in Florida, New York and Southern California are the first in the U.S. to evolve to the new model. Next year, a total of 69 McDon-
ald’s restaurants in the Jacksonville area market will have completed the conversion, it said. So far in Duval County, the city has issued or is reviewing permits for at least 19 McDonald’s restaurants to add customer kiosks for its menu and soon, its Signature Crafted program. Will Garcia, a McDonald’s owner and operator and vice president of the Jacksonville area McDonald’s co-op, said the first of his four Jacksonville restaurants went live Nov. 9 and that custom-
A proposal was made Thursday for the city, Visit Jacksonville and JAX Chamber to work together to promote economic development at a hospitality chalet at The Players. The tournament is May 9-14 at TPC Sawgrass.
City may consolidate effort at The Players TDC earmarks $25,000 for hospitality
By Max Marbut Staff Writer
What began as a discussion about how to use an internationally famous event to make Jacksonville a premier tourist destination took a turn Thursday toward a wider look at business recruitment. The Duval County Tourist Development Council was reviewing a $250,000 grant request from the PGA Tour for advertising and marketing The Players golf tournament outside Northeast Florida. City Council President Lori Boyer, chair of the tourism council, suggested investing in tournament hospitality for convention and group business development. Last year, Visit Jacksonville, the convention and visitors bureau for Jacksonville
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and the Beaches, shared space in a hospitality chalet with St. Johns County tourism development representatives. Monica Smith, Visit Jacksonville vice president of sales and services, said the tournament Crescimbeni is used as a “familiarization event” to bring convention and meeting planners to Northeast Florida to show them the area’s facilities and amenities. The city invested $75,000 last year for hospitality at the tournament, said Dave
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er reaction “so far has been great.” That location is at 8570 Argyle Forest Blvd. “They have been pleasantly surprised with the improvements made to our restaurant. As more restaurants come online in our market, we will be hiring more crew people for hospitality and other positions. Overall, these are very exciting improvements,” Garcia said. With the new technology, customers will place their orders at MCDONALD’S CONTINUED ON PAGE A-3
Goo-Goo plans 2 Jacksonville locations
Image provided by PGA Tour
By Karen Brune Mathis Managing Editor
Herrell, sports and entertainment officer. He said his office uses The Players for business development and to entertain officials from the University of Florida, University of Georgia and the Southeastern Conference as well as prospects who might bring sports and entertainment events to Jacksonville. “The Players is a critical asset for us,” said Herrell. Visit Jacksonville bought $18,000 worth of tournament tickets last year and spent $30,000 for travel expenses to bring tour operators to the event, said Paul Astleford, president and CEO. He suggested that if city entities combined their efforts and budgets, Duval County could present an even better image TDC CONTINUED ON PAGE A-3
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Goo-Goo 3 Minute Express Wash won’t end its run with just one Jacksonville location. Construction should begin in February on the first area Goo-Goo along Gate Parkway in The Crossing at Town Center for a targeted opening July 4. Florida and South Georgia Goo-Goo franchisee Todd Buckner said Thursday a second area car wash is planned, and possibly more, although he declined to discuss the location of the next site. “This is a rapidly expanding industry,” Buckner said. More are planned elsewhere in Florida, too. “Goo-Goo has the intention of expanding in Florida in the coming years,” Buckner said. The company’s website, googooexpresswash.com, shows about 40 locations in six states, but doesn’t include the Florida operation. The six states are Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas. Buckner focuses on South Georgia and Florida, where four are open and three more are planned. The first Florida location opened in the spring in Lake City. Jacksonville will be the second. The South Georgia car washes are in Valdosta, Tifton and Douglas and another is under construction in Cordele. Buckner said he wanted the Town Center location to open by July 4 so it can honor area military veterans, who are given discounts with their IDs at Goo-Goo on that holiday as well as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Law enforcement officers also receive year-round perks. Buckner said Goo-Goo will provide one free basic car wash each week for vehicles assigned to police, patrol and other officers. “They are in their squad car and receive a free wash per week,” he said. Buckner said that is the main give-back
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