Restaurant invests £500k in refurbishment

McDonald’s Dundonald restaurant has opened its new dual lane drive thru as part of a wider restaurant investment programme across Northern Ireland which has seen 8 restaurants now operating dual drive thru lanes.
 
The dual lane drive thru enables two cars to order simultaneously using dual order displays improving the overall efficiency and speed of service.  They also provide a boost to McDonald’s employment numbers in Northern Ireland with 2,200 people employed locally across McDonald’s 27 restaurants.
 
McDonald’s Dundonald restaurant has invested in the region of £500k in its new dual drive thru and wider restaurant improvements including an enlarged customer car park with 25 new spaces and a more accessible restaurant entrance .The investment has also allowed McDonald’s Dundonald Franchisee Paul McDermott to create 20 new jobs; bringing the current employment to 130 full time and part time staff.
 
First Minister, Peter Robinson said; “McDonald’s consistently makes telling contributions to local communities throughout Northern Ireland and their recent investments in restaurants including the Dundonald restaurant in my own constituency of East Belfast is creating much needed employment and training opportunities for local people. This new investment made by franchisee Paul McDermott and others will not only benefit the local communities and people directly employed by the restaurants but also local suppliers and farmers, who will gain from the increase in business.”
 
Local Franchisee Paul McDermott said “We are really excited to have made the extensive restaurant improvements including an enlarged car park and the new dual drive thru at Dundonald.  Our investment in the drive thru will enable us to serve on average 20% more customers each hour with a quality meal and speedier service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
 
“As a local franchisee I’m keen to invest in the local area and I am pleased to be able to provide 20 new full and part time positions. Investing in the development of our staff is also important – it will help us to continue to deliver consistently high levels of customer service and we want to ensure our crew have a good learning ladder of opportunities ahead of them to benefit their career.”
 
Last year McDonalds celebrated 40 years in the UK. There are now 27 McDonald’s restaurants across Northern Ireland employing over 2,200 people.  We are proud to source many products locally including cheese from the Kerry Foods cheese making facility in Coleraine and our packaging from the Delta factory in Belfast. In 2013 McDonald’s spent almost £99 million sourcing goods and services from across Northern Ireland, approximately £14 million of which was spent on Northern Ireland agricultural produce.
 
For more information contact Simon Tiernan at Aiken PR on 07932545978 or simon@aikenpr.com

Pictured are (L) Neal Hunter, McDonald’s Dundonald restaurant manager, Sammy Douglas MLA, Paul McDermott, McDonald’s Dundonald Franchisee and First Minister Peter Robinson