New McDonald’s store brings 120 jobs to Ballygomartin

And the new 70-seater restaurant on Belfast’s Ballygomartin Road welcomed its first customers today (Wednesday).

McDonald’s UK and Ireland now operates 34 restaurants across NI – all run by seven local franchisees who, collectively, employ over 3,500 crew members.

The Ballygomartin restaurant is owned and operated by McDonald’s franchisee Paul Connan, who said that the team there is forging strong links in the local community.

“Feeding and fostering local communities is at the heart and centre of the McDonald’s business,” he explained.

“With many of our crew at the restaurant coming from the local area, we are already enjoying establishing what we hope will be long-lasting relationships with neighbouring community groups, sports clu bs and businesses.”

The Ballygomartin restaurant is the latest to showcase McDonald’s new ‘Convenience of the Future’ footprint in a nationwide programme that will see the business invest £250m in the redesign of 800 of its restaurants across the UK and Ireland over the next four years.

Paul continued: “We know that our customers in the Ballygomartin area will rightly expect to have choice in how and where they order and collect their food. Our job is to ensure that every experience is a great one.

“With customers increasingly looking for greater speed, efficiency and choice in how they order their food, Ballygomartin’s ‘Convenience of the Future’ design addresses how they are ordering now, as well as providing us with a platform to continue to adapt and innovate further in the future.”

Although traditional walk-in and Drive-Thru remain core to how customers order their food, the redesign of its kitchens and dining areas is enabling McDonald’s to better integrate digital sales channels, the MyMcDonald’sApp, and make smarter use of space.

McDonald’s is also reflecting the rise in delivery with separate delivery courier collection areas and, with 50% of its sales now going through digital channels such as McDelivery, mobile, and self-order screens, the Ballygomartin restaurant is an example of how its restaurant teams are benefitting from technology, equipment, and space to work together more effectively and better manage more complex or personalised orders.

Customers can order their food in store, at the drive-thru or via the MyMcDonald’s app. From November 24 McDelivery will be available.