The downtown Fairmont McDonald’s has a steady stream of business, according to new owner John Ebert.
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — John Ebert and his father, Jack, have built a strong base of community support for their McDonald’s franchise over the past 26 years.
Starting with the Bridgeport location, the Eberts’ business grew quickly and until Tuesday included 16 stores — 11 in North Central West Virginia and five in the Oakland, Maryland, region.
The size of their company jumped considerably on Tuesday — by about 44 percent.
The Eberts, as equally well-known for their community efforts as for their business acumen, have purchased seven new stores, including four in Marion County, from longtime McDonald’s owner Tom Messenger. The other three stores are in Kingwood, Grafton and Flatwoods.
“We’re blessed to have a great team of dedicated long-time employees,” John Ebert said. “When we considered expansion, we went to our key people and asked if they wanted new challenges. They all did.”
Tuesday’s purchase brings the total number of stores to 23 and makes the Eberts among the top 10 franchisees in the country…