WASHINGTON, D.C.—May 24, 2002— With the start of the busy summer tourist season, McDonald’s opened a new flagship restaurant site at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, America’s most popular museum. The 1,000-seat restaurant will deliver faster service, great menu variety and value for millions of visitors.

McDonald’s at “The Wright Place” offers museum visitors a wide variety of menu items from the Golden Arches, Boston Market and Donatos Pizzeria. The new restaurant will have the capacity to serve more than 15,000 people per day. McDonald’s created a gigantic kitchen—the equivalent of four full-sized McDonald’s restaurants—as well as a Boston Market and a Donatos Pizzeria kitchen. The restaurant can handle three times the volume of the previous operator.

“The Smithsonian chose McDonald’s to revitalize the National Air and Space Museum’s restaurant for the nine million tourists who visit this Washington landmark each year,” said Henry Gonzalez, president of McDonald’s East Division. “Today, for the first time, the museum will easily accommodate groups of every size with faster service and greater food variety at affordable prices. We are honored to be at this treasured house of aviation history.”