Farmers welcome gradual re-opening of McDonald’s
Six drive-thrus will re-open in Dublin from 20 May, with the spend per car to be capped at €30
Print12 May 2020
McDonald’s has confirmed it is to re-open some of its drive-thru outlets in Ireland from next week.
The fast food giant is to pilot reopening six drive-thru restaurants in the Dublin area on Wednesday, 20 May, with the exact locations to be confirmed next week.
“Moving in step with government guidelines,” McDonald’s said it plans to reopen all drive-thrus by early June across the UK and Ireland.
CEO of McDonalds UK and Ireland, Paul Pomroy, said the company will “cap spend in drive-thrus at €30 per car”.
The chain is one of the largest purchasers of Irish beef, spending €163 million alone on beef for export to its restaurants in the UK and Europe.
In total, McDonald’s says its restaurants contribute close to €200 million to the Irish economy.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said he welcomed the news that the chain was to “begin a cautious reopening” from 20 May.
“McDonald’s is a valued key purchaser of Irish produce and an employer of a large number of people throughout Ireland,” Minister Creed said.
Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers Association, was upbeat about the news, pointing out that one in every five burgers sold across Europe is Irish. Discussing a conference call McDonald’s held with the IFA to discuss its plans, Cullinan said its support of Irish beef “is recognition of the quality beef produced from our grass-based production system”.
The news is also positive for the dairy sector, with McDonald’s spending close to €100 million on Irish dairy produce, including milk, cheese, butter and ice-cream.
Meanwhile in the UK, 15 McDonald’s restaurants in the South East of England will offer delivery only from tomorrow, as the chain starts to slowly and safely reopen restaurants.
A £25 order cap will apply in these re-opened outlets, as McDonald’s adjusts to smaller teams and social distancing in its kitchens.
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