MCDONALD’S IS TO begin reopening restaurants in Ireland, starting with six in Dublin which will open for drive-thru orders only.

The six McDonald’s restaurants in Dublin will open from 20 May and locations will be confirmed next week.

“Eight weeks ago, we took the decision to close our entire restaurant estate, an unprecedented decision taken in the best interests of our employees and customers,” Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland said today.

“Over the last two months we have worked tirelessly to overhaul our operational procedures to enable our teams to return to work safely and I am pleased to write to you the day before we begin testing our return to the UK and Ireland.” 

Pomroy said McDonald’s will move in step with government guidelines and plans to reopen all it’s drive-thru restaurants by early June.

From 20 May, spending at these restaurants will be capped at €30 per car and contactless payment methods are encouraged.

Pomroy said the fast food company has introduced a number of wellbeing measures including:

• 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 coverings;
• Additional training on cleanliness practices, including increased frequency of handwashing and extra sanitising of touch points around the restaurant.

“When your local drive-thru 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,” he said.

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-thru 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.

He said the company will look to reopen more restaurants for longer hours and reintroduce more menu item once it gets accustomed to new processes and procedures. 

“But only when I am confident we can do so whilst maintaining the new procedures we have introduced for the protection of our people,” he added. 

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has welcomed the news, describing McDonald’s as a valued key purchaser of Irish produce and an employer of a large number of people throughout Ireland.

“The last couple of months have been undoubtedly tough, both economically and socially, but the recent announcement from government on the phased reopening of the country, offers reassurance and hope for brighter days ahead.”