McDonald's has announced that it will reopen six of its drive-through restaurants in Dublin on Wednesday May 20.
McDonald's UK and Ireland CEO Paul Pomroy stated, "In the last few days, updated government guidance has been shared in both the UK and Ireland, which makes it clear that takeaways and deliveries can operate. I can today announce we will pilot reopening six drive-through restaurants in the Dublin area on Wednesday, 20th May, and we will confirm the locations next week. In early June, we will then begin our next phases of reopening our drive-throughs in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland. We will keep you updated as restaurants open in your area."
Pomroy said that the reopened restaurants will be capping spend at €30 per car and that he encourages customers to pay by contactless payment methods wherever possible.
Safety And Well-Being Measures
According to Pomroy, the following safety and well-being measures have been introduced at all McDonald's restaurants:
- fewer people in the kitchen and service areas, serving a reduced menu over reduced hours;
- the use of contactless thermometers, with temperatures checked on arrival at work;
- Perspex screens in key locations in the kitchen and service areas;
- protective equipment for staff including gloves for customer and courier facing positions and face masks, but not the type needed by healthcare professionals;
- and additional training on cleanliness practices, including increased frequency of handwashing and extra sanitising of touch points around the restaurant.
"Different"
Pomroy added, "When your local drive-through does reopen, it will be different. Our service will not be as quick as you might be used to, as we adjust to smaller teams and social distancing in our kitchens. We expect there will be some queues for some of our busier sites and our restaurants will look different, with Perspex screens at our drive-through windows and employees wearing protective equipment.
"I ask that you continue to be supportive of and patient with our restaurant teams as we slowly and safely return. We are asking all of our employees to adapt to how our restaurants now work, and will only reopen at a pace that enables them to work safely.
"As we get accustomed to the new processes and procedures, we will look to reopen more restaurants, for longer hours and reintroduce more menu items. But only when I am confident we can do so whilst maintaining the new procedures we have introduced for the protection of our people.
"Learning from our initial phases, these tests, we will start to return to towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, and thank you for your continued support as we work through this crisis. We will continue to keep you updated via e-mail, our website and our social media channels."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
