McDonald's with one of the last remaining single-arch designs announces closing 

A McDonald's boasting one of the last single-arch designs from the 60s has closed - marking the end to a historic signage that stems back to the restaurant's early days. 

The location in the chain's home state of Illinois closed last Friday, after more serving hamburgers and fries to the community of Belleville since 1961

The single-arch marquee, however, dates to 1962 - and was an original version that until only recently had been one of less than a half dozen of its kind around the globe.

Sporting only one arch instead of two, the sign represents a brief transitional period from the use of the Speedee character- the hamburger cartoon - to the 'Big M' we know today.

The closure in Belleville represents an overall trend of retail shutdowns currently sweeping the nation, with another 1,400 stores set to close this year according to a new report. 

Based in Chicago, McDonald's Corporation recently shut down its headquarters temporarily, and is reportedly preparing for a wave of layoffs.

The location set in the chain's home state of Illinois closed last Friday, serving hungry customers in Belleville since 1961. The eatery's signage had sported the restaurant's last remaining single-arch design from the 60s

Sporting only one arch instead of two, the sign represents a brief transitional period from the use of the Speedee character- the hamburger cartoon seen here - to the 'Big M' we know today 

The restaurant's closing also comes amid a series of closures along West Main Street in the small city just a few miles from Missouri and St. Louis. 

There was no word from the restaurant's official owner, Estel Foods, Inc, about the closing, and it only came to light thanks to a report from the Belleville News-Democrat.

The outlet reported seeing a 'Permanently Closed' sign on the marquee of the vintage sign that still stands in front of the roadside restaurant.

Employees confirmed the restaurant's last day was March 31, leaving the roughly 40,000 residents who may frequent the eatery for fast eats - while enjoying the historic signage - at a loss.

Over the past several years, other locations in states including Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Arkansas and Ohio sporting the signage have all closed down, and subsequently had their crests covered.

Those stores served as the last remaining bastions offering the rare single arch, despite some, such as the one in Arkansas, being designated 'Historic Places' by their respective states.

Previously scattered along the byways of America - and bearing the family crest of founders Richard and Maurice McDonald - the sign is now only seen in Belleville, and it remains to be seen if the eatery's corporate owners will choose to preserve it. 

Previously scattered along the byways of America - and bearing the family crest of founders Richard and Maurice McDonald - the single arch is now only seen in Belleville, though for how long remains to be seen

Over the past several years, other locations in states like Missouri, Michigan, Florida, Arkansas and Ohio sporting the signage have all closed down, and all had their crests covered. A since shuttered location in Las Vegas is seen here in 2011

THEN AND NOW: The restaurants owners decided to add gold arches to the buildings as well as the original store in Des Plaines (at left), based on the 'feeling' that the roofs on the stores were 'a bit too flat' - but the single arch design for years had been exceedingly rare 

The city's first-ever McDonald’s it opened in October 1961, the original building had only two windows and no indoor seating.

Almost going under in its first year, the restaurant's owner at the time, Dave Emby, told the New-Democrat in 1989 the eatery did not immediately catch on - until the introduction of the now well-known sign around 1962.

Previously, younger brother Richard decided to add gold arches to the building, as well as the original store in Des Plaines, based on the 'feeling' that the roofs on the stores were 'a bit too flat.' 

The result was the installation of multiple iconic gold arches - though they didn’t have the look they have today.

 Instead of being conjoining to form the classic 'M', the structures were set on opposite ends of the building - hence the single arch.

Some, including the one in Belleville, also had a single arch that held up the McDonald’s sign - which now still stands to this day.

Those stores served as the last remaining bastions offering the exceedingly rare single arch, which was replaced by the double-arch in later in the decade

Across the state in Chicago, the fast-food company is closing its US offices this week to terminate staff remotely as part of a previously announced restructuring, with the number of corporate job cuts reportedly in the hundreds.

The cutbacks come as McDonald's pushes to significantly expand its restaurant footprint in the US and Europe for the first time in years, after saying many locations are operating at full capacity.

'It sounds like they want to reorganize the company into different structures to grow faster,' BTIG LLC analyst Peter Saleh told Bloomberg when the restructuring was announced in January. 'Maybe they feel like they don't have the right people in place.' 

The corporate job cuts come as part of McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski's ambitious restructuring plan, but will not impact the roughly 2 million restaurant workers at franchised locations around the world.