A brand-new McDonald’s restaurant that boasts 24/7 service has opened on the edge of a North Yorkshire town, close to the A19.

The restaurant officially opened in Thirsk on Thursday June 1, creating 80 full-time and part-time jobs.

It follows a significant investment from Franchisee John Atherton, who also has the franchise for the fast food chain’s outlets in the York area.

The McDonald’s is open for dine-in, takeaway, Drive-Thru and Click & Serve.

It features table service, self-ordering kiosks, a large outside patio area and a drive thru with Smart Digital Drive-Thru menu boards.

John Atherton, York McDonald’s franchisee

News of the arrival of the fast food chain to a new A19 development off York Road, Thirsk, was announced last year.

The £7m scheme will also see a Greggs and a Budgens on the site, which will also include a service station and EV charging units.

Earlier plans for a Mark & Spencer outlet on the site, the first in Thirsk, were withdrawn, with the Motor Fuel Group taking over the scheme, in place of BP.

Budgens will share a building with Greggs and will offer customers a place to shop for groceries.

A 22-space lorry park will also come as part of the development, which is sited on former agricultural fields.

York at the cutting edge of a fast-food revolution

John Atherton, who now owns and operates eight McDonald’s restaurants in North Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted to be opening another brand-new McDonald’s restaurant in Thirsk.

"People are at the heart of our business, and we look forward to welcoming new employees with the jobs our restaurant will create. We’re committed to investing in opportunities for a mix of all ages, life stages and backgrounds, promoting flexibility and equality.”

Some of the key innovations that McDonald’s will be rolling out through its Convenience of the Future programme include:

  • Front counter redesign will create specific areas for different sales channels, meaning more space for customers to enjoy their meal, less congestion around touchscreens, and shorter queues.
  • Dedicated courier waiting area and entrance: will allow crew to better accommodate courier needs, alongside reducing congestion in the dining to create a more relaxing restaurant environment for customers.
  • New kitchen design: a bigger order assembly area, and dedicated areas to prepare dine in orders, will help crew serve more quickly, efficiently, and accurately than ever before.
  • Improved car park layout: will create Modified traffic routes that will improve circulation around the restaurant, so it is much easier for Drive-Thru and Click & Collect customers to get their order.
  • Improve break spaces: redesigned crew rooms will create a more relaxing and comfortable space for crew to take a well-deserved break.