After standing for almost 25 years, the McDonald’s on Kildaire Farm Road in Saltbox Village was reduced to a pile of rubble on Thursday.

Owner Ric Richards watched with a smile on his face as the giant excavator scooped up chunks of his restaurant and pounded them into compact piles.

As soon as everything is cleared away, he plans on rebuilding and reopening the franchise in July, leaner and greener.

Richards wants to have the first McDonald’s in the state to earn certification by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2000.

“As a businessman, I think it sets an example,” he said. “This is the future.”

Richards’ effort is on the heels of two LEED-certified McDonalds in the nation, and a surge of other restaurant chains greening up to appeal to eco-minded customers and reduce operating costs.

The idea for the $2 million-plus redo arose when Richards was crunching numbers for fixing up the location’s drive-thru and facade.

“I looked at different costs, and I thought, it makes more sense to rebuild,” he said.

He heard about the first LEED-certified McDonald’s that opened up in Savannah, Ga. three years ago, and compared notes with its owner, Gary Dodd.

“In McDonaldland, we share shamelessly,” he said.

He researched LEED, which gives points based on energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling. He met with LEED representatives a year ago and drafted a plan that met their “gold” certification — the second highest standard LEED offers.

His design includes LED lighting for the interior and parking lot, which requires less electricity, generates no heat and lasts longer. He will re-install recently purchased Energy-Star appliances, buy low-flow toilets and use the sun to light the interior of the restaurant during the day, courtesy of 19 “solar tubes” that are carved into the ceiling and use mirrors to disperse light.

“That’s a significant savings as a business, but it’s also a great effect for the environment,” he said. He estimates a leaner power bill and reduction in water useage by 40,000 gallons a year. He will also have recycling receptacles available inside.

He showed architectual renderings for the “softer” dining room, full of natural wood and muted colors, cushioned seats, Wi-Fi access and three flat-screen TVs.

McDonald’s has given its franchise owners more say in decorating, with the goal of making a space where customers want to linger, Richards said. Most newer McDonald’s have abandoned the traditional golden arches sign for a single yellow arch sloping across the roof.

The outdoor playground won’t be rebuilt — much to the dismay of 5-year-old Jayce Kelly, who goes to preschool across the street. He and his mother Nora watched the demolition on Thursday and said they had heard the play area was dropped from the plans.

Richards confirmed that he and McDonald’s decided not to invest in a new “playland.”

“If you want a playground experience, you have to go to Crossroads,” he said, referring to another McDonald’s he owns across from the plaza.

Richards had a ceremonial Big Mac the weekend before demolition — a tradition he keeps for every teardown. “I call it my ‘last Big Mac,’” he said.

He also asked his construction crew to save some bricks as a keepsake.

“But not too much,” he warned them, because everything he doesn’t use will be shipped to a recycling center, which pays by the pound.

Richards is a self-described “ambitious man,” who started out as a nurse and segued into McDonald’s ownership in 1988. He lives in Morrisville with his wife and three children, and flies a twin-engine Cessna 340 in his spare time.

He said he eats at one of his seven McDonald’s locations every day. He’s also known to make unannounced Saturday trips through all his drive thru’s as a mystery customer, to keep service standards high.

Checking his Blackberry, he noticed that he had 45 new messages since that morning. But he doesn’t regret embarking on this new project and loves being part of the biggest hamburger business in the nation.

“Being able to go from one McDonald’s to seven is amazing,” he said. “We’re excited for the day we’re going to cut the ribbon.”