In a statement sent to employees on Friday, May 1, as reported by The Sun, McDonald's will initially reopen in 15 branches across the United Kingdom on May 13 with a reduced menu and is available only via Uber Eats delivery.
A McDonald's logo is pictured at a branch that is being used as a Test Centre to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Leicester, Britain, April 25, 2020.
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The memo has not yet identified the 15 branches that will reopen. It focuses more on instructions on safety measures that the fast-food giant will apply once it reopens.
The company is encouraging contactless payments to ensure the safety of its staff. Hence, they will only accept orders from Uber Eats. It is not clear, though, why the McDonald's app will not work.
Uber Eats charges a delivery fee depending on the distance between the restaurant and the client's house, so this cost should be considered.
Safety first
The stores will be operating with less staff to ensure social distancing is followed.
Breakfast will not be available as the store will open only on limited time from 11 am to 10 pm. This is to avoid crossing other's workspace during the switching to the regular menu as well as to reduce complexity since they only have limited staff.
To ensure safe transactions, perspex screens will be installed, while floor markers are set up to lead customers to practice social distancing.
All employees will be asked to confirm they are fit to work. Their temperatures will be taken using contactless thermometers before their shift.
Also, they will be provided with non-medical grade masks, while customer-facing employees will also have gloves.
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The shutdown
McDonald's fans were upset after the temporary closure of all the 1,350 branches on Mar. 23 due to coronavirus.
Before the closure, the fast-food restaurant still offers takeaway and drive-thru services while the dining and children's play areas closed to help keep staff and customers safe.
It also used sticky tape to mark out boxes on floors for safe distancing.
"In March we took the decision to temporarily close our restaurants in the U.K. and Ireland for the safety of our employees and customers," said Paul Pomroy, McDonald's CEO for the U.K. and Ireland.
Pomroy also stated that they have been working on the possibility of reopening their business on come of their branches, which he also shared with franchisees and 135,000 employees Friday.
"As part of our reopening planning, we have been listening to you and our employees, and we have worked closely with the U.K. and Irish governments and trade bodies to help ensure we do this responsibly," said Pomroy adding that they "deliberately taken [their] time" because they "want to get this right".
Anticipating the comeback
Indeed fans have been waiting for the return of the fast-food giant. In New Zealand, customers were queuing after midnight after the lockdown was relaxed to Level 3 on Apr. 30. While there were long lines, the customers still applauded the staff's fast and incredible service.
Meanwhile, in France, McDonald's fans lined up to three hours when few branched reopened their drive-through lane last week. This resulted in long tailbacks and heavy traffic jams near these reopened outlets.
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