McDonald’s to reopen restaurants for walk-in takeaways

MCDONALD'S will reopen restaurants again for walk-in takeaways later this month.

The fast food chain revealed that it would close to walk-ins and offer delivery and drive-thru only at the start of lockdown.

McDonald's will start reopening for walk-ins at some locations this week as it tests out new safety measures.

It then hopes to open all branches in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland from Monday February 22 onwards.

McDonald's revealed the temporary closure after the third national lockdown in England.

The chain said it took the decision to close for takeaway while it reviews extra safety measures to keep workers and customers safe.

Now, Maccies has introduced new safety measures that mean its doors can open once again.

That includes include visors as well as face coverings for staff who work directly with customers.

There will also be "revised guidance and processes" for couriers who are picking up food for deliveries along with "enhanced processes" for managing customers and couriers in restaurants,

Paul Pomroy, McDonald's boss for UK and Ireland, said: "A month ago we made the voluntary decision to temporarily close walk-in takeaway while we reviewed our safety measures to ensure they reflect the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Working closely with third party safety expert NSF International, we identified a small number of changes to further enhance our procedures, and we are currently in the process of rolling these out to restaurants.

Mr Pomroy also thanked staff. He said: "The wellbeing of our people, as well as our suppliers, couriers and our customers remains our top priority, and we are confident the new processes in place will further enhance our already robust safety measures."

McDonald's has still served customers through home delivery via Uber Eats and Just Eat.

Drive-thrus have also remained open and McDonald's will now also deliver food to your car so you can skip the drive-thru queue.

The idea is to save diners time waiting around in long drive-thru queues.

Restaurants remain closed for dine-in under the lockdown rules.

During the third national lockdown in England, hospitality venues like restaurants, pubs and bars have been ordered to stay closed.

How to find your nearest McDonald's

McDonald's has around 1,300 across the UK. You can find your nearest one by using .

This should tell you whether your local Maccies has a drive-thru.

For delivery, McDonald's has partnered with both Uber Eats and Just Eat - but not all restaurants offer both services.

You should also keep in mind that you'll pay a delivery charge on top of your order. This usually depends on how far away from the restaurant you are.

Enter your postcode on Uber Eats and Just Eat to see if McDonald's delivery is available near you.