A McDonald's restaurant has closed its doors for a month as a major refurbishment takes place. The branch in Rutland Street, Ilkeston, closed on Tuesday, June 7, and will remain shut until 11am on July 5.
The eatery will be among the first in the UK to undergo such an extensive "restaurant redesign" as part of the fast-food giant's "convenience of the future" plan. There will be a new restaurant layout, including a new kitchen design, a new entrance and a dedicated collection area specifically for McDelivery couriers, which will help ensure congestion is avoided in the restaurant, Derbyshire Live reports.
The branch will include LED lighting and wall graphics made from recycled coffee cups, recyclable floor and wall tiles, and furniture which is made from fully recycled materials and that is also fully recyclable itself. McDonald’s franchisee Tim Dobbs, who owns and operates the restaurant, said: "I’m excited that my restaurant in Ilkeston is currently undergoing refurbishment works creating a new layout which will improve the experience of my team and our customers. I look forward to re-opening."
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There will be a new front counter installed, creating separate areas for different styles of payment, with the goal of achieving less congestion around touchscreens, and shorter queues. There will also be a separate parking area for couriers and traffic routes will be altered to make it easier for drive-thru and click-and-collect customers to get their orders.
The nearest branch that customers can use in the meantime, according to the McDonald's website, is in Station Road, Langley Mill. This also offers McDelivery. This year, McDonald’s will introduce "convenience of the future" upgrades in 200 restaurants, with 800 planned over the next four years.
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