120 JOBS have been created as the new McDonald’s outlet at McKinstry Road opened its doors on Wednesday.

The restaurant began serving its signature menu at 11am, offering a drive-thru and takeaway service. Sit-in is not permitted at the moment due to Coronavirus restrictions. With an emphasis on sustainability and the local environment, the restaurant has planted trees around the site and has invested in renewable energy sources, LED lighting and an upgraded recycling system.

Digital innovation also extends to the new drive-thru menu boards and to the energy efficient kitchen, changing how the food is prepared and served so that products are made specially to order using locally sourced quality ingredients.

A McDonald’s franchisee for 27 years, John McCollum told the Andersonstown News that he and his team are “very excited” to be opening the restaurant in the Colin area.

“This site has been in the pipeline for quite a number of years, we went onsite in January and once you do that you are committed,” he said. “We thought this site in particular was a fantastic location, there is a great feel of community here.

“When Covid hit we were closed for 11 weeks. It’s great now to be in a position, come the end of October, that we are employing a further 120 staff and it’s great to be able to do that. Over the 27 years I’ve seen a lot of change and how we serve our customers. Now, compared to when I started, it’s chalk and cheese. Now McDonald’s has a global mobile app and the drive-thru is increasing. McKinstry Road is one of the first sites to have the digital drive-thru menu boards. Throughout my time as a franchisee I have been committed to serving and supporting the local communities in which we serve and I am really looking forward to welcoming people from the local area and beyond to the new restaurant to enjoy a treat at McDonald’s.”

Business Manager Gavin Doran began his career at McDonald’s when he was 17.

“I was still at school doing my A-Levels when I started with McDonald’s,” smilied Gavin. “ didn’t know what to do as a career but stayed with the company and progressed up the ladder. My role as Business Manager is more of a coach, a leader in helping people to develop throughout the business. As Business Manager, well... it’s a very exciting job. You welcome staff on their very first day. We offer online training, which is fantastic. Our new staff will already have a visual image of where they are starting in the restaurant, it won’t be a case of coming in and not knowing where they are going to be. We very much want to be more involved in the Colin area through schools, the football and Gaelic clubs. Myself and John have already had meetings with the local councillors and had a chance to see the Brooke Leisure Centre for ourselves. This area is really developing and we are really looking forward to welcoming and serving all the customers and their families as we get started”

McDonald’s McKinstry Road is currently open for drive-thru, takeaway and McDelivery. The My McDonald’s App is free to download and provides customers with the ability to order and pay contact-free when visiting McDonald’s through the drive-thru, for dine-in (when the time is right) and for click and collect.

The app also provides a one-stop shop for the latest opening times and available restaurant services as these will continue to vary based on local government regulations.