Oskaloosa McDonalds Ready For Friday Opening

Cara Van Steenis gets ready to cut the ribbon on her new McDonalds restaurant in Oskaloosa.

October 28th, 2021

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The ribbon was officially cut on the rebuilt McDonalds restaurant on Wednesday by owner Cara Van Steenis.

Members from the Mahaska Chamber Diplomats and many others from within the community were on hand for the cutting and soft opening of the new facility.

Van Steenis talked about her career in owning and operating Mcdonald’s franchises, a love for which she gained from her father.

Van Stennis remembered when her family moved to Oskaloosa in 1979, and her father built the Oskaloosa McDonalds when she was in middle school. “Every day after school, I would walk here, and if you’ve been around Oskaloosa, I’d go across the street and grab my cheeseburger from ‘Lil Duffer,’ come back, and I would sit and watch the construction of the restaurant until my dad drove me home.”

“So I loved McDonald’s from day one. It’s just been in my blood, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Van Stennis added.

Before her father sold his restaurants, Van Stennis spent nearly two decades in the St. Louis area as an owner/operator before making a move back to Iowa when her dad retired. “What I found out is I’m a small-town girl. There is nothing better.”

“My favorite thing to do is visit with the customers in the morning, the coffee drinkers. I love it,” shared Van Stennis.

“I have an amazing team that I’m thankful for every single day, and I couldn’t do this without them,” explained Van Stennis.

With that, the ribbon was officially cut, and employees then shared menu items with the guests.

The rebuilt Oskaloosa McDonalds will officially open for business on October 29th, 2021, after being closed for the summer as the new building went up.