Mcdonald's Franchise Opens Second Restaurant In A-samoa

American Samoa has a second McDonald's restaurant, this one located in the busy downtown district.

Local franchise operator American Samoa 2000 Inc. yesterday opened $2.7 million, two-story restaurant, located in the downtown area with a clear view of Pago Pago Harbor and bay area. The restaurant is named McDonald's By the Bay.

- ADVERTISEMENT - The first McDonald's restaurant opened in September, 2000 in Tafuna village on the western side of the main island of Tutuila, near Pago Pago International Airport.

Since then, local McDonald's chief executive officer and board chairman Rep. Tautolo Charlie Agaoleatu said there has been a lot of request from residents on the Eastern side of Tutuila for a restaurant.

Tautolo said the Tafuna restaurant has been doing well, with year-to-date up by 10 percent.

"They said Tafuna is a long drive for them and especially now with high gas prices, people want convenient without the long drive,"� Tautolo told Pacific Magazine. "We believe this is the best investment for the company and the result is this brand new restaurant."� The restaurant, which includes a drive-thru and a children's"� playground, is located on the first floor while the company's corporate offices are on the second floor.

Friday's official opening ceremony, which included the raising of the United States and American Samoa flags with a choir singing the national anthems, was attended by local and traditional leaders as well as members of the business community.

In his keynote address, Gov. Togiola T.A. Tulafono thanked and congratulated Tautolo and the local McDonald's company for "this wonderful additional to our economy and to our business community."� "This business has been the greatest job producing business in the last 10 years in the territory. It has employed more people than any other new business since 10 years ago,"� Togiola said.

According to the governor, McDonald's in building this second restaurant is an indication that the company is well established on solid grounds "and that's what McDonald's represents to American Samoa today. It's a business that's here to stay."� In his remarks, Tautolo said it has been a long and challenging journey for the company following the opening of the first restaurant.

He pointed out the new restaurant has hired up to 100 local residents and the company promotes from within. Currently, the local franchise with its two restaurants provides some 180 jobs in American Samoa, he said.

"Somebody once said "�to make the dream work, you need team work"�. You are seeing this here today,"� he said.

Besides hiring locally and being part of the local community, Tautolo said McDonald's has committed to assisting and sponsoring local organizations and civic groups as well as providing scholarships for local graduates.

The restaurant works on what is called "made for you,"� utilizing computerized equipment to serve a customer's food fresh as it's been ordered instead of been pre-packed in advance.

Paul Bews, the franchise consultant for Queensland, Australia and the Pacific Islands based at McDonald's Australia Ltd., said this concept has worked well in Australia and customers are happy.

Maureen Chamber of McDonald's Australia Ltd, during a tour of the facility provided a run-through of how this system works from the time the order is placed at the counter.

For example, when the customer orders a "Big Mac,"� it is punched automatically by the cashier into a computerized cash register and the information is automatically flashed on video screens set up around the kitchen, for the workers to monitor and start immediately.

"Before the customer gets to ordering a drink, or another item, the cooks have already started making that Big Mac,"� said Chamber.

"When the customer is placing an order, the customer will notice the screen monitors throughout the restaurant, so the customer knows what has been ordered,"� she added.

The drive-thru has a different time frame compared to inside the restaurant. "The ultimate goal is to get our customers through the drive thru in a 3 and half minute span,"� said Bews.

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