There are a lot of things Formby is known for from the beach to the nature reserve and golf course.
But one claim to fame you might not know is that Formby is also home to the UK's biggest Drive-Thru restaurant. The McDonald's is based at the site on Altcar Road which was previously occupied by MJ's Steakhouse.
It opened in April 2019 and boasted 'the latest innovations from McDonald's'. However, it's the size of the restaurant that has caught people's attention.
The Formby McDonald's has 279 seats, an outside patio seating area, a soft play area, space just for arts and crafts and a barista coffee area. It also incorporates the franchise group's regional office and staff training centre.
At the time, franchisee Mark Blundell, dubbed the 'Maccies King of Merseyside', had no idea it would break records. Speaking to the ECHO, Mark said: "It was an empty and existing restaurant building which we converted into a McDonalds rather than replace with one of our traditional buildings.
"We think the Formby store is a fantastic looking and unique building...the Formby site had taken over the previous site of a drive-thru independent diner, which was massive.
"There is a lot to benefit from such a big welcoming atmosphere and our customers can enjoy a light, airy space with no shortage of available seats."
Since its opening, the Formby McDonald's has made itself a name on TikTok, with people travelling miles to visit it. In one video, which has been viewed 216,000 times, a couple describes the restaurant as "the Disneyland of McDonald's".
Mark isn't surprised by its popularity. He said: "It is fantastic to be such a destination for not just our local customers but to customers around the country. The site is a unique site that people are intrigued by."
In fact, Formby McDonald's now has its own TikTok, which has videos with over one million views. Mark said: "Our staff love to make the content at quieter times and it’s a great opportunity for them to work creatively as a team while giving our customers a window into how things work and what we’ve been up to."
However, the big McDonald's has also had an impact on the community that wasn't foreseen. Mark explained: "With cost cuts across the UK in pretty much every business and also in every household, it has never been harder for families to find a reasonably priced meal and free activities for children at the time when people need it the most.
"As well as our variety of food and offers, we think our soft play areas, tablets and free face painting, crafts, and balloon modelling, every Saturday and Sunday 12 to 4pm, give our customers added service and hospitality and great value for money."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
