Whether you're meeting with a colleague over a latte, having breakfast while catching up on the latest news or you're bringing the family out for supper, the renovated McDonald's is the spot to go.

 "It's a whole new experience. There is a psychology behind the new design and there is more thought to the layout of the restaurant," said co-owner Donna Stitt, who bought the existing franchise with her husband, Glenn, in 2007.

 "It's an atmosphere now. It's a go-to place.

 "Those who are long-standing fans of Mc-Donald's as a welcoming place to bring the children shouldn't fear. Its kid-friendly section has been incorporated into its new design. But those who are passing by McDonald's on their lunch break because they remember it the way it once was should stop in and take a second look. Not only does it offer nutritious alternatives such as salads and real fruit smoothies to its famous burger and fries fare, it takes into account a segment of the population that didn't enjoy the McDonald's atmosphere because of its cafeteria-style seating.

 After nearly $2 million in renovations, the new McDonald's has an out-of-the-way section with café-style seating to enjoy authentic espressos, lattes or cappuccinos; a booth section for face-to-face conversations; and a family section that will play child-friendly programming in the near future. Soon there will also be a section for professionals who want to catch up on the latest news. To add to the atmosphere, McDonald's also offers its customers, no matter where they sit, free Wi-Fi.

 The evolution of the restaurant began when McDonald's began appealing to a wider variety of customers. Today, that evolution brought the restaurant to its Destination 2012 design.

 "We knew when we bought the restaurant four years ago, the restaurant was 24 years old, we knew it needed a facelift. Then this Destination 2012 came in," said Donna, noting they were given a choice of several decor packages.

 The renovations began in November of 2010. It was necessary to close down the restaurant for nearly two months in December of that year and most of January of 2011. It was March of 2011 before the restaurant was fully operational with sporadic closures for various parts of the renovations. In total, the restaurant was closed for 110 days over the year-long process.

 "We will never close again," smiled Donna. She said the closures had to be frustrating to customers but it was all for them. She added the customers are now loving the new digs. The nearly two-month closure was also difficult for the almost 90 employees. But Glenn and Donna did what they could to keep their staff employed during the closure. As well, some of the employees worked at the McDonald's at Wal-Mart, while others went to the Liverpool store. Donna said she was amazed at the sacrifices the staff were willing to make, such as voluntarily taking a vacation, to help the restaurant get through the renovations.

 When Donna looks around the restaurant now she can't help but think of how it looked when she first started working at a McDonald's at 16 years old.

 "It's not the same McDonald's," said Donna.

 The couple is grateful to the staff and customers for seeing them through the renovation process. She said now that the difficult period is behind them, everyone can enjoy a different McDonald's - whatever one they want.

 "McDonald's is whatever you need it to be at that particular time of day," added Donna.