North Belfast’s local economy has received a welcome boost with the announcement of over 90 new jobs at the new McDonald’s restaurant on the Shore Road.

The restaurant which has just opened is a new design concept and offers a host of new consumer innovations that deliver not only an even quicker service, but an enhanced customer experience.  Customers can not only avail of table service and digital innovations, such as touch screen kiosks, but the restaurant also boasts entertainment for the kids with free to use tablets, a new digital play offering and an outside play place, the first in Northern Ireland. The restaurant can seat 106 customers and features a new dual lane drive thru, which can accommodate in the region of 150 cars per hour.

Speaking about the investment, McDonald’s franchisee Des Lamph said, “As a local businessman I’m keen to ensure steady investment and I am pleased to be able to provide over 90 new full and part time positions for the local area. The restaurant will operate from 6am to 12pm, seven days a week,  and will provide our customers with the perfect place to enjoy a quality meal and friendly service.

“The Shore Road restaurant is an exciting customer offering and we are delighted to be immersing ourselves in the local community.  McDonald’s is committed to growing its business and this major investment has created significant direct and indirect employment including a boost to the manufacturing, construction and service sectors.”

Digital innovation is at the heart of the new restaurant which features a host of customer facing technology. This includes six touch screen kiosks which allows customers to browse the menu, order their food and pay by card or contactless.  Additionally, eight free to use tablets have been installed at a number of tables for customers who want to check their newsfeed and emails or play their latest games and kids can also be entertained by the new Digital Play area. New technology also extends through to the kitchen adapting how the food is prepared and served so that products are made specially to order using freshly prepared ingredients.

McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Belfast in 1991 and employees over 2,300 people locally.