McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD, ETR:MDO) is planning to open over 200 new restaurants across the UK and Ireland, creating some 24,000 jobs, with many set to be placed on high streets.
This marks the Big Mac maker’s biggest expansion in the country since 2002 and comes as part of a £1 billion investment spree by the chain and its franchisees.
New restaurants will be opened over the coming four years under plans set to be unveiled this week, according to The Times.
Fresh restaurant formats, such as smaller sites, will be tested, with many of the sites set to be opened on high streets.
McDonald’s said the move marked a “commitment” to these “as town and city centres continue to evolve and respond to a variety of challenges”.
This follows the pandemic and cost of living in quick succession, with big names such as Wilko and Ted Baker most recently disappearing under the pressures.
McDonald’s, which has 1,435 sites and 171,415 employees in the UK, previously invested £618 million in revamps and new restaurants over the five years to 2023 alongside franchisees, who own four-fifths of the chain’s restaurants.
“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,” UK and Ireland chief executive Alistair Macrow added.