The McDonald's Restaurant in Clinton Township is being refurnished and the owners were in the process of having the Ronald McDonald statue moved to a secure location.
CLINTON TWP. - Ronald McDonald has been kidnapped.
Ronald McDonald statue that was stolen from Hunterdon McDonald's located on Center St. (Courtesy of Koury family)An iconic life-size statue of Ronald McDonald sitting at the end of the bench, which has welcomed thousands of customers for over two decades, has been stolen from a McDonald's Restaurant located at 185 Center St.
The franchise, co-owned by Philip and Diane Koury, is undergoing extensive renovations, including the replacement of its 1970s-style roof.
Workers began refurbishing the restaurant on April 24, said Diane Koury. The couple had scheduled the statue to be picked up the following morning and stored in a safe location, but the company had to reschedule the pickup, Diane Koury said.
When workers completed their work at approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday, the statue was still on the property. But when Philip Koury returned Thursday morning at 10 a.m., he discovered that the statue was missing, said Diane Koury.
The couple called police and filed a report. Their initial thought was the theft might be some type of prank by kids, but now they're not sure. They statue weighs more than 250 pounds and is big and bulky and difficult to hide from someone's parents, said Diane Koury.
The couple now think the thieves may try to sell it.
As of Tuesday morning, the statue was still missing. The couple, who have owned the franchise since 1991 and purchased the statue in 1993 or 1994, have offered a $500 reward for information leading to its recovery in tact.
The statue was purchased for $7,000, said Diane Koury.
"Whoever stole Ronald McDonald didn't just steal from us, they stole from thousands of parents who want to share their memories growing up with their kids," she said. "They grew up with Ronald McDonald. He's a part of the history and marketing of McDonald's."
Unfortunately, the statue,made by Dutchland Plastics Corporation in Ootsburg, Wisconsin, is no longer in production, said Koury. Over 3,000 statues had been ordered through 1997.
Since the statue of the clown character was taken, support from the community has been overwhelming. The couple started a Facebook page on Saturday with the #findronald.
"People are heartbroken," said Koury. "They're posting pictures of their children sitting with Ronald McDonald. The outpouring of love and concern has been so surprising."
Ronald McDonald was created around 1963 when a McDonald's location in Washington, D.C., decided to boost business by sponsoring ''Bozo's Circus,'' a local children's show featuring future "Today Show" weatherman Willard Scott, according to the website Netorama.
Koury said that any information concerning the statue's whereabouts should be reported to the Clinton Township Police Department or the Koury Family's Flemington location at 908-782-4550.
The Center Street location is scheduled to reopen Friday, May 12, with an official grand reopening in the middle of June.
"It'll be so disappointing to reopen without Ronald McDonald," said Koury.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.