McDonald's of John Day restaurant is set to close at the end of October and will be torn down in November.

JOHN DAY – The Golden Arches in John Day will be coming down, and 18 people will lose their jobs.

Oct. 31 will be McDonald’s of John Day restaurant’s last day open.

“I’ve spent two months going back and forth with McDonald’s (corporate office) trying to talk them out of their decision,” said owner Jorge Ribeiro of Burns.

Hundreds of McDonald’s restaurants have been up for closure nationwide, and Ribeiro said the decision to close was based on the “low economics of the situation,” and because they are reaching the end of a 20-year lease on the property owned by the DR Johnson family.

He said the building will be torn down in November.

“It was 100 percent a corporate decision,” Ribeiro said.

“Emotionally, I’ve gone through a lot of feelings,” he added.

He said he’s been in business for 30 years, with 15 years owning McDonald’s in John Day.

“Over the years, I’ve had to fire people, but usually people fire themselves,” he said. “Here are 18 people I care about – it was the hardest day of my life. I will miss all my people and working in John Day.”

John Day’s McDonald’s has been open since 1996, and Ribeiro bought it in July of 2000. Ribeiro also owned a McDonald’s restaurant in Burns which he sold one year ago.

He said that of the 18 employees he has in John Day, four of them have worked for him for at least 10 years.

“I appreciate all they’ve done and their hard work and great service to the community of John Day the last 15 years,” he said of all his employees. “I want to personally thank the community of John Day for their patronage and their support of my family and myself over the past 15 years.”