McDonald’s invests £250m in restaurant remodelling

The ‘Convenience of the Future’ upgrade programme will see McDonald’s UK&I shake up the way its restaurants operate to reflect the diverse ways customers order.

In 2022 McDonald’s will introduce Convenience of the Future in 200 restaurants, with 800 conversions planned over the next four years.

The platform will continue to evolve and introduce new innovations depending on the customer need and the restaurant format.

The traditional walk-in and drive-thru will remain core to how customers order, while the redesign of kitchens and dining areas will better integrate digital sales channels, My McDonald’s app, and make smarter use of space.

Reflecting the rise in delivery, which was only introduced at McDonald’s just under five years ago, a separate courier collection area is being introduced.

Approximately 50% of sales now go through digital channels, including McDelivery, mobile

and self-order screens, and the restaurant revamp will provide restaurant teams with the technology, equipment, and space to work together more effectively and better manage more complex or personalised orders.

McDonald’s said customer satisfaction had been high at pilot stores and that restaurant teams are responding positively to the new working environment.

So far, Bow, Peckham and Kirkby restaurants have been remodelled and have seen a “meaningful increase” in sales.

Innovations​

Key innovations being rolling out include changes to the front counter redesign, with specific areas for different sales channels, meaning less congestion around touchscreens and shorter queues.

A dedicated courier waiting area and entrance will reduce congestion to create a more relaxing restaurant environment for customers.

New kitchen design sees a bigger order assembly area and dedicated areas to prepare delivery and dine in orders.

Improved car park layout allocates separate space for couriers and modified traffic routes for drive-thru and click & collect customers.

Redesigned break rooms meanwhile will give staff a more comfortable space to relax.

Gareth Pearson, McDonald’s UK&I COO said: “The pace of change within the restaurant industry is relentless, and the pandemic accelerated this with digital adoption gathering greater pace. Our customers rightly expect to have choice in how and where they order and collect their food, and our job is to ensure that every experience is a great one. For this to be the case, we know we also have to provide our restaurant teams and delivery partners with the best possible environment to work in.

“We strongly believe we have to continue to invest to grow, and this investment not only addresses how customers are ordering now but provides us with a platform to continue to adapt in the future, whatever that innovation looks like.”

Convenience of the Future will also incorporate learnings and innovations from McDonald’s first net-zero carbon emission restaurant in Market Drayton, as the business works towards its target of achieving net zero emissions across all its restaurants and offices by 2030.

Some of the successful innovations being rolled out include LED lighting and wall graphics made from recycled coffee cups; recyclable floor and wall tiles; and furniture which is made from fully recycled materials and that is itself fully recyclable.