No matter which branch of McDonald's you visit, from Arnold to West Bridgford they're always busy.
Across the UK the fast food giant serves around an average of 3.5m customers every day which makes it hard to imagine one of its burger restaurants closing due to lack of footfall.
But that's what happened in Beeston town centre.
McDonald's opened in High Road in 1987 but closed within 20 years because it simply wasn't busy enough.
Although there had been plenty of customers wanting a Big Mac at lunchtime, it was much quieter at other times and when a drive-through McDonald's had opened at Chilwell Retail Park it hit trade even more.
The empty unit become a furniture shop for the charity Betel UK and in 2017 turned into cafe bar, the Bendigo Lounge.
McDonald's wasn't the only fast food restaurant to disappear from High Road. KFC was also on the town's main shopping street but it closed down in 1993 after the weekly turnover was much lower than expected.
Today the town boasts a diverse mix of thriving cafes, coffee shops, takeaways and restaurants - both chains and locally-run businesses, from Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero to the Pudding Pantry, Greenhood Coffee House, Cartwheel, Birds and the Circle Eatery.
Even though it has been years since McDonald's shut its doors the topic remains a hotbed for debate between those who miss it - and those who don't - when Nottinghamshire Live asked locals for their views.
Kylie Goodband said: "I can remember the McDonald’s on the High Road when I was growing up. I used to meet up with my friends there on a Saturday before we went shopping as teenagers. There's not a lot of places to go now for teenagers. The cinema has just been built but all that is in Beeston is charity shops and small cafes."
Steve Clarke believed it boosted the local economy. "It did improve the town centre commercially as many families visited Beeston rather than Nottingham or Derby for shopping and a ‘treat’ lunch."
Beeston has Ohannes, a gourmet burger restaurant, but Shania Armstrong said: "It would be nice to have a McDonald's especially now they've got alternatives for vegans too. Some people can't afford Ohannes so having a budget fast food place again would be great."
It brings back happy memories for Andrew Hall, whose disabled son Joshua frequented it before he passed away.
He said: : "It used to encourage Josh to be independent in his wheelchair and go into Beeston with his friends.
"It would be nice to have a Maccies in Beeston again but realistically they need somewhere with space for parking and drive through to make economic sense in a town the size of Beeston."
Tahir Ahmed said it used to be part of his weekend routine as a boy. "We used to love going into Beeston, going to the pet shop and then to McDonald's, those were some lovely memories. Even if its fast food and not the healthiest option its a still nice to have on your doorstep. Going too frequently is how it can become unhealthy quickly but everything in moderation."
Geoff Eaton added: "There are plenty of outlets for adults in Beeston, but not many for teens or youngsters to hang about in with relatively cheap food and drinks. I have never got the antagonism toward McDonald's and similar. I like to use them occasionally and would certainly like a McDonald's or KFC on the high street if there was enough demand to support them - and I think there would be, especially with deliveries."
However, not everyone's fussed about nipping to High Road for a a cheeseburger and chicken nuggets and for them independently-run businesses win hands down.
Bee Warren said: "Good riddance to junk food multinationals. Beeston has plenty of good, varied, independent food outlets that makes the town interesting and attractive (not another dreary old Clonetown) and keeps the economy local."
Al Draper added: "Well run, independent food and drink outlets offering healthy menus using responsible, traceable suppliers isn’t too much to ask of a High Street in 2022, is it?"
Steve Beech commented: "In an age of globalisation I’d argue that Beeston is thriving and has fewer outlets which are part of large chains than a decade ago."
Anthony Quinn, who runs the Pudding Pantry in High Road, believes it's part of a national trend, which has also seen chains such as Pizza Hut and Jamie's Italian close restaurants close.
"I think people are bored of what they serve. People want to spend their money and get something different. I think chains will always have trade but I think people will want to go somewhere where they get a different experience.
"If you look at the suburbs around like Attenborough, Toton, and Wollaton, it's quite an affluent area that surrounds Beeston and I think people like to spend their money locally."
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