For almost two months, McDonald’s fans have been unable to get their hands on a Big Mac due to the ongoing pandemic.
The fast food giant was forced to shut in March after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a nationwide lockdown.
But in recent days, the chain has begun easing back into business following a seven-week shutdown, with 15 outlets opening on Wednesday for delivery only.
It is the first phase in the firm’s plans to resume trading from all of its 1,350 sites across the UK in the coming weeks.
In order to reopen, restaurants are being asked to follow regulations set out by the government. So, when will McDonald’s reopen and how does the chain plan to follow the new guidelines?
When will McDonalds be open?
McDonald’s, like most other large restaurant chains, stopped serving at all its UK outlets on 23 March at 7pm following Boris Johnson’s address to the nation.
The chain, which employs around 135,000 people, announced last month that it was planning to open some restaurants following “operational tests”.
Announcing the move, Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s chief executive for the UK and Ireland, said: “When we return it will be different as we all adjust to this new normal.
“I want to apologise in advance if our first wave of reopened restaurants does not serve your area. Rest assured, we are working hard to reopen more restaurants, but I am adamant this must be at the right pace with the wellbeing of our employees, suppliers and customers front of mind.
“Slowly, but safely, we will return to towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, and thank you for your continued support as we work through this crisis.”
On Wednesday, 15 outlets reopened for delivery and take away only and executives at McDonald’s say they plan to open 30 more outlets across the UK from 20 May.
McDonald’s says it plans to reopen all drive-through by early June, with some opening in the next phase on May 20.
All those sites that have reopened are operating on reduced hours and will be open from 11am to 10pm. They will have fewer employees working and will offer a limited menu for delivery and takeaway only.
What are reopened McDonald’s restaurants selling?
In a new video posted on YouTube earlier this week, McDonald’s confirmed that all reopened restaurants would be offering a reduced menu.
Here’s the full list:
Main menu
Cheeseburger, hamburger, double cheeseburger, Big Mac, quarter Pounder with Cheese, McChicken Sandwich, Filet-O-Fish, Chicken McNuggets and Chicken Selects
Sides and desserts
Fries, mozzarella dippers, McFlurry (Oreo, Maltesers, Smarties), fruit bag
Drinks
Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Oasis, black coffee, white coffee, latte, cappuccino, espresso, flat white, tea, orange Juice, Fruit Shoot, water, Happy Meal water
Happy Meal variations
Happy Meal – hamburger
Happy Meal – cheeseburger
Happy Meal – four Nuggets
What is McDonald’s doing to help with social distancing?
So far, at least 33,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, with a further 233,000 confirmed cases.
Although the UK appears to have had a steady decline in newly confirmed virus cases in recent days, it is important to maintain social distancing to limit transmission of the disease.
To help with this, the government has introduced a raft of guidelines to help restaurants maintain social distancing.
According to the Food Standards Agency, restaurants “should make sure that the risk assessment for your business addresses the risk of COVID-19.
“You should use the government social distancing guidance to inform your decisions and control measures.”
All restaurants reopening should provide customers with hand washing and hand sanitiser products and encourage visitors to wash their hands frequently, official government advice states.
In its newly published video, McDonald outlined a host of new measures to help protect its staff during the pandemic.
These include fewer employees working in kitchen, additional screens at work station areas to help staff keep apart and daily temperatures checks.
McDonald’s also says it will provide staff with additional protective kit such as face coverings. Each restaurant will receive a deep clean before and after opening while staff will be asked to wash their hands every 30 minutes.
The chain has also installed screens at its drive-through hatches and is asking all customers to pay by contactless only. Customers have been asked to keep order below £25.
