Welch Avenue has lost a pair of famous yellow arches. McDonald’s, 217 Welch Ave., closed its doors Nov. 26.

John Dasher, McDonald’s licensee at the McDonald’s Restaurants Business Office, 4923 Lincoln Way, said the closing of the Welch Avenue McDonald’s was due to the expiration of the store’s 20-year lease.

“It did not make sense to us to renew a 20-year lease in that location,” Dasher said.

Dasher said he, along with other executives, may relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Ames in the future.

Even with the closing of the Welch Avenue McDonald’s, three serving locations remain in Ames, one at 3621 Lincoln Way and another at 129 S. Duff Ave., which was rebuilt last April. A satellite station is located in the Memorial Union Food Court.

Anthony Hayes, restaurant manager at McDonald’s, 129 S. Duff Ave., said he believes the closing of the Welch Avenue McDonald’s will increase traffic for the McDonald’s on Duff Avenue.

“I’m pretty sure [business] will pick up,” Hayes said.

Brian Beavers, junior in finance, was employed at the Welch Avenue McDonald’s for two years.

He said he received a phone call over Thanksgiving break notifying him the restaurant was closing. His last day at work was Nov. 20.

Beavers said he was surprised by the announcement.

“Everything seemed normal,” Beavers said. “I had no idea that anything like this was going on.”

McDonald’s employees at the Welch Avenue location were asked to provide their preference as to which Ames McDonald’s they’d like to be transferred to, Beavers said.

McDonald’s operates more than 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries.