New building, location puts McGraw’s back in business

By JEREMY LYDIC (jlydic@reviewonline.com)
WELLSVILLE — Just in time for the summer heat, the doors have opened to McGraw’s new drive through location on Main Street.

When an April 2007 fire made the original location unusable, Jeff McGraw and his wife Tracey bought the property for the new location in August, putting them right next to Nick’s Pizza and the VFW post. Along with Jeff’s sister Cathy McGraw-Newlun — who is also the manager — and local contractor Scott Hieney, the new building took about one month to build.

“We wanted to have it up and running by November,” McGraw said. “But cold weather and my back surgery slowed things down.”

The McGraws put in the office and restroom while Hieney did the rest of the building. The facility itself is much larger and more open than a regular drive through, which McGraw said will allow people with bigger vehicles to enter with ease. Employees will be able to move around much easier as well.

“Everyone wanted to know why we built it so big,” McGraw said. “We thought it was a good investment.”

He said people with trucks and SUVs will be able to come through the facility with ease, and without having to fold back their rearview mirrors. He said people who take their ATVs on trailers to the pits have been very receptive to the larger space.

McGraw said the customer base at the new location is a “whole different ballgame.” While downtown at the previous location, he said one brand of beer would sell like crazy; King Cobra or Old English, for example. At the new location, McGraw said the customers don’t buy it at all. The same goes for cigarettes.

In addition to beer, wine and cigarettes, McGraw’s offers basic dairy products, such as milk, eggs, butter and juice. They also feature Steubenville Bakery bread by the loaf every Thursday. McGraw said the next step is to add a deli to the facility, which will feature Italian meats, cheeses and olives from both Walnut Creek of Ohio and the Pennsylvania Macaroni Co., in Pittsburgh.

McGraw said residents will be able to call in orders for lunchmeat and sandwiches to be ready for pick-up. Although everybody can call in an order, he said the service was conceived with senior citizens in mind. He also wants to offer cooked chicken, but that possibility is still being discussed.

Since they already have the necessary Ohio “Retail Food Establishment” license, McGraw said they hope to have the deli up-and-running by the Italian Fest in August.

McGraw’s Drive-Thru is open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. McGraw said when the weather starts getting better, the Sunday-Thursday hours may be extended to 1 a.m. Wine is not available on Sunday.

McGraw’s is also running a gas card giveaway. Customers can fill out an entry form to win one of five gas cards, which will be awarded in May. Cathy said they are unsure of the amount, but will be set in accordance with whatever the gas prices happen to be at the time of the drawing.