McDonald’s has announced plans to open over 200 new restaurants in the UK and Ireland in the next four years at a cost of £1bn.
The new restaurants will create over 24,000 jobs and will include testing new formats, including ‘drive to’ restaurants and smaller branches.
The plans will also see a renewed focus on opening high street restaurants in a demonstration of an ongoing commitment to supporting high streets.
Alongside new restaurants, the business will continue to upgrade and reimage more than 1,500 existing restaurants across the UK and Ireland.
These ambitions have been revealed as part of the new report “McDonald’s at 50”, which explores the business’s impact on its communities across the country, since its doors first opened on Woolwich high street in 1974.
Over the 50 years McDonald’s has been operating in the UK, it has contributed a reported £94.45 billion to the UK economy.
The plan to build over 200 new restaurants in the UK is in line with McDonald’s target of building 10,000 more restaurants globally by 2027.
Alistair Macrow, CEO, McDonald’s UK&I, said: “We have come a long way since we first opened our doors in Woolwich 50 years ago. We have become an important part of communities across the UK, and I’m delighted that in this milestone year we are able to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to growth, and announce the creation of new jobs across the country as we plan to open over 200 new restaurants over the next four years.
“It’s a moment to celebrate, and also to look ahead to what’s next. Whether that’s continuing to provide the best value for our customers, investing in our restaurants, supporting our suppliers across the UK or launching new initiatives for young people where our communities need them most.
“We’re proud of what we have delivered in the last 50 years and are committed to investing in new opportunities and supporting growth across the UK.”
