VINTON, Va. – After years of construction, the town of Vinton is ready to celebrate.
The new Macado's is opening Tuesday and town leaders say while it is just a restaurant, it represents so much more.
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For nearly three years the question in Vinton has been, what's up with Macado's?
"This is the fun part, seeing it all come together, this is the fun part as stressful as it was," said Andrew Mead, Vinton Macado's general manager.
For Meade, the stress is real and the pressure is intense.
"My goal every day that I've come in is to make sure to attempt to get the store put together as if we were opening the next morning and get everything I can possibly get done and finding those little problems now," said Meade.
Except this time, the store is opening Tuesday.
Menus are folded and staff are ready.
"It's been one of the most eagerly anticipated projects that I can recall in the town in quite some time," said Pete Peters, Vinton economic development director.
Peters and other Vinton town leaders have been watching closely. In its first life, the building where Macado's will be was the library, now trading Dewey Decimal for a savory sandwich.
"It's been remarkable and you can see the transformation, it's incredible to think about what it was previously and what it has become now," said Peters.
They're most proud of the outdoor patio and the arcade, which will take up nearly a quarter of the building.
"It's going to create job opportunities, it's going to create some great revenues for the town, but it's going to give a place for the residents and visitors to town to really kind of congregate and get together," said Peters.
Like other Macado's, hometown pride runs strong. The Vinton decorations tell the story and they're banking on community being the key.
"It's just going to be so neat for people to come in and it's like our little place of Vinton and see things that people know and remember and recognize," said Angie Chewning, executive director of the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce.
"I'm not from Vinton, I was not familiar with the area and I'm so excited to not just manage a restaurant here but move down here myself and be an active member of the community," said Meade.
There will be a grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting Saturday, December 1 at 10:30 a.m.