North Wildwood McDonald's closes, permanently

The McDonald's at 130 W. Spruce Avenue in North Wildwood - an island landmark since 1982 - has closed for good.

(To be clear: The McDonald's in Wildwood, along the entrance boulevard at Rio Grande & Park Avenue, isn't going anywhere.)

Sources have told us that the franchisees recently sold the restaurant back to the company, which has opted to discontinue operations.

Yesterday, A.B.S. Sign Co. arrived on the scene and removed the iconic "Golden Arches" sign that stood alongside the building for years.

At this time, there is no word on what the future of this location may hold.

Normally, the sight of this McDonald's being shuttered at this time of year would not be unusual to residents and regular visitors. This was an extremely rare breed - a "seasonal" fast food restaurant location that opened every year from Spring to early Fall.

The aforementioned McDonald's on Rio Grande Avenue in Wildwood is the last one remaining on the island.

There have been four McDonald's restaurants in the Wildwoods' history, at least that we're aware of.

Previous locations included two on the Boardwalk (though not operating at the same time) - on Mariner's Landing at the building that is now Jumbo's Restaurant and a "retro"-themed store built into the Strand Theatre complex on the 2900 block.

With the North Wildwood McDonald's closing, the island says goodbye to another chain operation.

The 7-Eleven at 3501 New Jersey Avenue, was recently shuttered. Earlier this year, the Pizza Hut at 406 Rio Grande Avenue also closed its doors for good.