Kent McDonald's re-opening tomorrow - everything you need to know
13:31, 12 May 2020
updated: 14:49, 12 May 2020
As three McDonald's prepare to re-open in Kent tomorrow – here's everything you need to know.
The county will have three of the fast-food giant's stores opening at 11am - in Gillingham Bowaters, Sittingbourne Retail Park and Beechings Way Industrial Centre, Gillingham - but only for delivery.
The branch at Bellegrove Road, Welling, will also open.
Additionally branches at Chelmsford Riverside, Chelmsford Westway, Ipswich Cardinal Park, Boreham Interchange, Luton Leagrave, Watford, Luton Chaul End Lane, Tooting, Dalston, Welling, Harrow and Luton George Street will reopen as part of the first wave.
Customers can only order food via the Uber Eats app and must fall within 1.5 miles of the restaurant.
All restaurants and car parks will remain closed and orders will have a £25 spending limit.
There will also be a limited hours and menu – including many of its burgers, chicken nuggets, Fillet-o-Fish, fries and hot drinks range but no breakfast.
A further 30 pilot restaurants in the UK and Ireland, offering service through the Drive-Thru lane, will reopen next Wednesday also capped at £25.
The company plans to reopen all Drive-Thrus by early June.
Chief Executive Paul Pomroy says the branches, which were shut in March following the government's implementation of lockdown, will be staffed by smaller teams.
He said: "We will increase how often these procedures are completed and provide all employees with updated training on restaurant cleanliness and sanitisation. All restaurants will be deep cleaned before reopening."
Perspex screens, floor markings, face masks, thermometer checks and social distancing with delivery drivers will be implemented.
McDonald's is asking customers to have patience when ordering and urging people not to make any necessary journeys to the sites.
The food company has said it is "working closely with Uber Eats" to ensure the safety and wellbeing of delivery drivers, which includes perspex screens, sanitising stations and new social distancing measures being introduced across the business."
On Saturday a government minister said fast-food chains, such as McDonald's, were never required to shut in the first place.
