McDonald’s UK to open 200 new restaurants

McDonald’s has revealed plans to open 200 new restaurants over the next four years as it commits to investing £1b into the business.

It comes after the fast food chain reported its first global slump in sales since 2020, with a 1% drop seen across its 40,000 worldwide restaurants during the April to June period compared to the previous year.

McDonald’s is also celebrating its 50th anniversary in the UK, having first opened a site on London’s Woolwich high street in 1974.

The proposed roll-out will include trialling new and smaller restaurant formats, as well as focusing on delivering high street locations, which is estimated to create more than 24,000 new jobs.

McDonald’s will also renovate 1,500 existing restaurants across the UK and Ireland and has unveiled global plans to launch 10,000 more restaurants by 2027.

In its wider ‘McDonald’s at 50’ report, the company said it has contributed £94.5b to the UK economy since entering the market, while it has spent over £51.6b on UK-based suppliers and farmers.

Over the past five years, it has invested £618m into opening new restaurants and refurbishing existing sites, and in 2023 alone, McDonald’s invested £100m to launch 41 new sites , the highest number in 20 years.

Alistair Macrow, chief executive, McDonald’s UK&I, said: “We have come a long way since we first opened our doors in Woolwich 50 years ago.

“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.”

McDonald’s operates over 1,400 restaurants across the UK with the support of 200 franchisees, who account for almost 90% of the business, and more than 170,000 staff.