McDonald’s to open more than 200 new restaurants across UK as part of £1bn investment

The expansion, revealed as part of the new report called McDonald’s at 50​, reflects a £1bn investment from McDonald’s and its franchisees in the UK and Ireland, and comes less than a month after the fast food giant reported a worldwide sales decline of 1% in the second quarter of 2024.

The roll out will include testing new restaurant formats, with new ‘drive to’ sites recently launched and additional smaller formats being trailed this year; as well a renewed focus on opening high street locations.

It will build on McDonald’s existing portfolio of more than 1,500 outlets across the UK and Ireland and comes after it launched 41 new restaurants across the territory last year, the highest number in two decades.

McDonald’s, which is one of the largest restaurant chains in the world, made its debut in the UK back in 1974, opening its first site on Woolwich high street.

Alongside new restaurants, the business will also continue to upgrade its existing restaurants across the UK and Ireland as part of the investment.

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

“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.”

McDonald’s recently reported a 1% decline in global comparable sales for Q2 of the year, which reflected negative comparable sales across all three of its segments: the US, International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets.

Negative performance in the International Operated Markets was driven by France, while International Developmental Licensed Markets experienced the continued impact of the war in the Middle East.