The McDonald’s on Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore, located next to Chipotle and several other restaurants, has closed its doors after more than 20 years. The building is now listed for lease. According to the posting, it’s the first time the property has been available in over a generation.
Roughly 20,000 vehicles pass the site every day on Lancaster Avenue. According to the Ardmore Business Association, the location had been operated by a local franchise family with more than 25 years of experience in the Main Line area. No public reason has been given for the closure, and neighbors seem just as unsure.
A South Ardmore community Facebook group has a thread of residents asking the same question, with no clear answer from anyone connected to the restaurant. Theories have circulated in this group, though none have been confirmed by the restaurant or its ownership. Several commenters noted that the location had a poor reputation for years, pointing to broken self-order kiosks and rude staff as recurring complaints.
“If anything, the area has grown even more competitive, with several chains fighting for the same lunch and after-school crowds.”
VIKRAM PONNURU ’29
Other residents suggested a lease or franchise agreement may have simply come up for renewal without being renewed, noting that McDonald’s franchise agreements typically run for twenty-year terms and that the franchise owner may now be focused on several other locations instead.
Whatever caused the closure, a decline in business along Lancaster Avenue doesn’t appear to be one of the culprits: The Chipotle next door remains consistently busy, especially during the lunch rush, and Just Salad opened nearby earlier this year as part of a wave of new Ardmore fast-casual restaurants. So if McDonald’s struggled, it wasn’t for lack of foot traffic. If anything, the area has grown even more competitive, with several chains fighting for the same lunch and after-school crowds.
What will replace McDonald’s is still unknown, but with its rare drive-thru access and heavy daily traffic, the site is unlikely to remain empty for long.