Rumor: McDonald's is coming to Rusk
Location being considered is near intersection of U.S. Highways 69 & 84

The McCat is out of the bag.

One of the worst-kept secrets in Rusk has the town abuzz at coffee shops and lunch sites around the city: officials are close to announcing that a McDonald's restaurant will open soon in Rusk.

The Rusk city manager and Rusk Chamber of Commerce executive director are both tight-lipped about the transaction, and both declined to name McDonald's as the restaurant chain looking at property in Rusk.

However, sources familiar with the real estate negotiations say that an official announcement could be made in a week or two.

The location under consideration is on property located near the intersection of U.S. Highways 69 and 84.

A new restaurant in Rusk could provide a McBoost to the local economy.

Preliminary estimates project that approximately $2 million could be added to the local tax base.

The county's two largest employers, Rusk State Hospital and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, employ approximately 2,000 persons.

No information is available on the floor plan under consideration and whether the design will include a full drive-through, playground and restaurant. Some McDonald's locations are connected to gas stations/convenience stores.

Another store concept is McStop, which targets truckers and travelers.

Calls to the McDonald's regional office were not immediately returned.

McDonald's began in 1940 in San Bernadino, Calif. The current corporation was founded by Ray Kroc in 1955.

The chain has expanded to 120 countries and territories around the world, and serves approximately 54 million customers daily.

McDonald's Corp. is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (MCD), Stock hit a 52-week trading high at $63.69 per share on Dec. 12, 2007, and closed Monday at $55.82.