Preston McDonald's reopens its Capitol Centre drive-thru following revamp

The drive-thru off London Way had been closed for refurbishment since June 27, but reopened this morning revealing a sleek new look.

It’s the third McDonald’s to be revamped in the Preston and South Ribble areas, with local franchisee Nigel Dunnington also bringing a fresh new look to branches in Deepdale and Leyland earlier this year.

What’s changed?

One of the biggest changes has been made to the counter, which no longer fronts the kitchen. Instead, there is a smaller counter and the kitchen is now separate and out of sight.

The result is that the seating area now has a more relaxed atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of the busy kitchen.

In addition to a fresh new look and layout, the Capitol Centre McDonald's has also introduced a separate service area for deliveries. It means customers no longer queue alongside delivery drivers waiting to collect orders.

Delivery orders are now dealt with separately in a partitioned ‘McDeliveries’ service area with its own entrance and exit.

The restaurant also includes LED lighting and wall graphics made from recycled coffee cups; recyclable floor and wall tiles; plus, furniture which is made from fully recycled materials and that is also fully recyclable itself.

And the outside seating area has been transformed, with sleek new tables and chairs and a huge parasol to shield customers from the weather.

Improvements have also been made for staff, with a redesign of crew rooms creating a more relaxing and comfortable space for breaks.

The redesign is what McDonald’s refers to as a ‘convenience of the future revamp’. It aims to improve customers’ experience by delivering ‘greater speed, efficiency and choice when ordering’.

“A more seamless and enjoyable experience for customers”

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “With consumers increasingly looking for greater speed, efficiency and choice when ordering their food, McDonald’s ambitious ‘Convenience of the Future’ restaurant revamp programme combines a new restaurant layout with the latest technology to create a more seamless and enjoyable experience for customers.”

Gareth Pearson, chief operating officer for McDonald’s UK, added: “The pace of change within the restaurant industry is relentless, and the pandemic accelerated this with digital adoption gathering greater pace.

“Our customers rightly expect to have choice in how and where they order and collect their food, and our job is to ensure that every experience is a great one.

"For this to be the case, we know we also have to provide our restaurant teams and delivery partners with the best possible environment to work in.

“We strongly believe we have to continue to invest to grow, and this investment not only addresses how customers are ordering now but provides us with a platform to continue to adapt in the future, whatever that innovation looks like.”