McDonald’s rarely opens new Kansas City area locations. This one just broke ground

The Bell family has eight local McDonald’s. Now they plan a ninth — which they say will be one of the first new area McDonald’s locations to open in nearly a decade.

“The company just called and offered us the opportunity to build this location,” said John Bell, owner/operator of Bells Franchise Co., an area McDonald’s franchisee. “I want to give folks in my organization opportunities to grow their careers and it also is in the community that I live in.”

There have been rebuilds and nontraditional locations, including a gas station McDonald’s that opened four years ago, he said. Corporate officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Bell held a groundbreaking for the new restaurant, at 4321 N.W. Barry Road, Tuesday morning. It is scheduled to open this fall and will have 70 to 90 employees.

Bell said it will have “the latest and greatest” design and equipment — double drive-thru lanes, double curbside parking, home delivery, and kiosk order and pay with credit or cash inside.

The family owns three locations of the hamburger chain in the Northland, as well as two in south Kansas City, one in Leawood, and two in Kansas City, Kansas.

Bell and his wife, Mary, purchased their first McDonald’s, at 4002 N. Oak Trafficway in 1996, from her father. He had been a Kansas City McDonald’s franchisee for about 40 years.

Their son, Parker Bell, is a manager trainee. Their son-in-law, Jacob Branda, is an organizational technology assistant at the franchise.

Bells Franchise Co. in Riverside has more than 400 employees.