This was the scene in NI today when McDonald's drive-thru restaurants reopened for the first time since the lockdown

Drive-thru McDonald's restaurants reopened in Northern Ireland on Wednesday for the first time since the Coronavirus lockdown was introduced in March.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A queue of cars extended out on to the busy Strand Road in Londonderry as locals waited in line to purchase food.

The same scene presented itself at the nearby McDonald's drive-thru in Crescent Link where a makeshift traffic control system had to be deployed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Staff wearing surgical masks ensured traffic moved as efficiently as possible by helping motorists into the correct lanes at the right time.

McDonald's drive-thru restaurant reopened for the first time in Londonderry and right across Northern Ireland today. (Photo: Andrew Quinn/JPI Media)McDonald's drive-thru restaurant reopened for the first time in Londonderry and right across Northern Ireland today. (Photo: Andrew Quinn/JPI Media)
McDonald's drive-thru restaurant reopened for the first time in Londonderry and right across Northern Ireland today. (Photo: Andrew Quinn/JPI Media)

The Londonderry fast-food outlets were two of 24 McDonald's restaurants to reopen across Northern Ireland for the first time since they closed because of the Coronavirus lockdown.

McDonald's has had to make some changes to facilitate the reopening of its drive thru restaurants.

These changes include fewer staff working in kitchens, limited menus (no breakfast or shakes), opening hours from 11.00am to 10.00pm and a cap of £25 on what each customer can spend.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Customers with the McDonald's app on their smartphones are encouraged to use the app to order and pay for their food before collection.

All McDonald’s employees will be asked to confirm they are fit and able to work and contactless thermometers will be used to take employee temperatures on arrival at work for every shift.

McDonald's decision to reopen its drive-thru restaurants is just the latest step being taken by the Northern Ireland economy as it sets out to recover from the financial impact of COVID-19.

Earlier in the week, Ikea reopened its Belfast store where hundreds of shoppers queued outside - some people had been waiting in the queue from as early as 6.00am.

--

A message from the Editor:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Irish and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Thank you,

Alistair Bushe

Editor