McDonald's Opens on 104th St.

Bustling with excited children and the smell of warm french fries, the new McDonald's on 104th and Broadway is full of activity late on a Sunday afternoon.

The outlet, which opened Oct. 6, has been met with mixed reactions from the local community. While some residents are relishing the fast food joint's addition, others disapprove of the chain's influence on the neighborhood.

"Business has been doing really good for the first week," said Catherine Melendenz, 19, one of the managers. "Everyone says it's about time they opened a McDonald's here."

Many local residents found the restaurant to be a cheap and convenient place to grab a bite.

"They have a dollar menu, which is not bad. You're not going to get a sundae at Ben and Jerry's for a dollar," said one customer who wanted to be identified only as Ben. Ben, 57, who lives on 104th Street, said he eats at McDonald's about three times a week.

The smallest customers also have their own reasons for loving the chain.

"I come here every Sunday. The Happy Meals are my favorite," said Rocio Martinez, 9, a student at a neighborhood school.

Despite the excitement, the neighborhood, known for its fiercely independent streak, has a history of dislike toward chain stores. Residents protested when KFC opened a branch on 106th Street in 2002, and a Burger King was shut down in 2003 due to ineffective management and poor sanitation.

"Personally, I haven't heard anything. Everyone who comes in says 'Welcome to the neighborhood' and that they look forward to many more years [with McDonald's]. The customers seem happy," Melendenz said.

But not all residents of the local community are welcoming McDonald's with open arms. Outside the fast-food restaurant, there is brewing discontent.

"It [the dislike for chain stores] is not just in this area. It's nationwide," said Tomoaki Sakaguchi, 27, the manager of the adjacent Tokyo Pop restaurant.

"Lots of guests to this restaurant are giving us their sympathy for having a McDonald's next door," he said, adding that he was concerned not just with the competition, but that his customers would be uncomfortable with the increased noise levels and the number of people always gathered outside McDonald's.

Two residents of 105th Street, who wanted to be identified only as David and Cecilia, disapproved of the newest addition to their locality.

"This area hates chain stores-absolutely," David said. "It makes this neighborhood more like any other neighborhood."

David said that he had seen "some guy walking around saying, 'This is why the terrorists attack us,'" condemning a chain that many consider to be one of the most blatant symbols of American consumerism. But there haven't been any major protests since the opening of the store.

"I personally loathe everything that McDonald's stands for," Cecilia said. "There is a way that the store blends in more than I thought it would, but I would definitely say it's intrusive."

"The market will decide," said Charis Gresser, a resident of 98th Street, referring to McDonald's future in the neighborhood. "If a lot of people want to eat there, it will succeed. Otherwise it won't."