McDonald’s Gets Eco-Friendly Seal: Restaurant Is Among Chain’s First

istockAnalyst.com:

An environmentally friendly redo of a McDonald’s franchise in Cary’s Saltbox Village shopping center has earned a coveted seal of approval from the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization promoting sustainable building design and construction.

The store at 1299 Kildaire Farm Road, which is owned by franchisee Ric Richards, is the first McDonald’s in North Carolina and the third in the nation to meet the USGBC’s gold standard under the organization’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system established in 2000.

The gold certification is the second-highest of four possible ratings on the LEED scale.

The other two McDonald’s restaurants that have met the stringent LEED certifications are in Savannah and Chicago.

“We’re ecstatic,” Richards said. “It just goes to show you that when you collaborate with your partners and stay focused on what you want to achieve, it works.”