By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

GRAMERCY – McDonald’s restaurants have served more than one billion people since the corporation was founded in 1955, but the fast food giant has never sold a meal in St. James Parish.

But that changes in July 2007.

Gramercy’s first McDonald’s will open this July on Highway 3125 as an extension of the Shell station near the Winn-Dixie Shopping Mall, Regional Real Estate Manager of McDonald’s USA Peter Roy confirmed Wednesday.

&#8220McDonald’s has for several years wanted to establish a location in St. James Parish,” he said. &#8220We’re truly excited to do business in growing St. James Parish.”

The building will mark the first co-brand Gulf Coast McDonald’s to feature the company’s new national standard building façade called &#8220Forever Young.” Adopted in 2006, the new design showcases a warmer color scheme, a streamlined rooftop and better lighting.

The restaurant will comfortably seat 50 residents who wish to pleasure their palettes on an updated menu, which includes a plethora of health-conscious items like the tantalizing Fruit ‘n Yogurt Parfait, a wide variety of refreshing salads and the newly introduced Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips.

For the traditionalists McDonald’s offers the Big Mac, two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, Chicken McNuggets, a 1980s staple of easy-to-eat breaded chicken pieces now made only with white meat and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, a hefty stack of two burger patties and layers of cheese on a sesame seed bun.

The Gramercy McDonald’s restaurant is franchised by the family-owned Valluzzo Corporation, the largest franchiser in Louisiana and one of the biggest in the country. This location marks the Valluzzo Corporation’s 52nd McDonald’s nationwide.

The two McDonald’s restaurants nearest to this upcoming location are located in LaPlace, on Airline Highway and Highway 51.