Local

World's largest McDonald's closes as replacement nears opening

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been a hard sight to miss on International Drive and soon it will be gone forever.

The signature French fry box-shaped McDonald’s on Sand Lake Road and International Drive will close its doors for good at 11 p.m. Wednesday.

The restaurant is the biggest McDonald’s on Earth and has fed millions of tourists from all over the world since it opened in 1976.

Besides fast food, the McDonald's offered other activities, like bowling, slides and video games.

Construction of its state-of-the-art replacement, adjacent to the current location on Sand Lake Road, is underway. The building is set to open in February, officials with Oerther Foods Inc., the company that owns and operates the restaurant, said.