Godfrey Wood didn't waste much time when he saw an opportunity to bring a new restaurant to the Maine Mall after he learned McDonald's would close at the end of January.

A private investor, Wood heard the Maine Mall management company wanted to find a burger franchise to replace McDonald's. As soon as he came across Johnny Rocket's, Wood knew his search was over.

Wood, who is also the CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, plans to open a Johnny Rocket's restaurant at the Maine Mall on June 1 after he opens his first one at Freeport Village Station in mid-May. He says each restaurant will have 20- to 25 full-time equivalent positions and will feature the 1950s-era décor of juke boxes and soda jerks.

"It goes back to a time when everything felt good in America," says Wood, who also owns an Amato's franchise restaurant at the Maine Mall. "The quality of the food is incredible, fair pricing, nothing is frozen."

The California-based restaurant chain has 280 corporate and franchise locations that feature classic 50s fare: malts, onion rings and, of course, 13 different hamburgers.

Other Northeast Johnny Rockets' franchises, like those in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, have done very well because the company has great brand recognition, Wood says.

The Freeport location will face Main Street and have enough seating for 49 people with some outdoor seating during the summer months. Both the Portland and Freeport restaurants will feature some stool seating at the counters that will be equipped with 1950s replica soda fountains and ice cream stations.

With an investment of hundreds of thousands just to cover construction and equipment for one location, it's no small move for Wood.

Wood says he is very confident both restaurants will do well because of the great national brand recognition that Johnny Rockets' enjoys and the fact that "thousands and thousands of people will walk past your front door."