Major fast-food chains such as McDonald’s, Greggs and Subway have stepped up plans to reopen outlets as they ease back into business amid the loosening of lockdown restrictions.
McDonald’s said it will reopen all of its drive-through restaurants by early June, while Subway is reopening 600 of its 2,600 stores across the UK and Ireland. Greggs has reopened a handful of shops in the north-east which could welcome walk-in customers.
Restaurants and pubs in the UK were closed from 24 March under the government lockdown but were allowed to prepare food for collection or delivery, with many providing free meals to NHS staff and other key workers.
Successful trials of safety measures to protect staff and customers – combined with new government guidance – mean restaurants are confident they can open safely for delivery and takeaway as part of carefully managed, phased programmes.
McDonald’s will on Wednesday reopen 15 outlets in London and the south-east for deliveries but said on Tuesday that it would be going further, opening 30 drive-through restaurants in the UK and Ireland from 20 May and all of its drive-throughs by early June.
To keep queues shorter, the chain is introducing a £25 order cap. McDonald’s has more than 1,270 restaurants in the UK and employs more than 120,000 people.
Subway outlets being opened have been fitted with new safety measures to protect customers, staff, and delivery and supply drivers.
Burger King, KFC, Nandos and Pret a Manger are reopening stores through phased programmes offering takeaway and delivery only. The Five Guys burger chain has opened 47 of its 104 restaurants across the UK.
Greggs has reopened a handful of restaurants in the north-east which could lead to the reopening of more outlets to walk-in customers, it revealed on Tuesday. The company is trialling safety measures to protect staff and customers. It changed its mind about earlier plans to reopen 20 of its 2,050-plus locations last week, fearing crowds might gather.
The firm’s chief executive, Roger Whiteside, issued a statement on its website, stressing the trials were in line with the government’s Covid-19 guidelines. He said: “These trials are being conducted across a number of channels, including delivery through Just Eat, click and collect and walk-in customers. Colleague and customer safety continue to be the primary focus of the decisions we take as we start to reopen our shops.”
Meanwhile, Dobbies confirmed that its 54 garden centres in England will reopen on Wednesday. One centre in Swansea had already opened. Garden centres have been given permission to reopen in England and Wales but not in Scotland. The Edinburgh based-chain said the changes meant 55 of its 68 stores would be open.
Dobbies said a queuing system would operate outside stores with a limited number of shoppers permitted inside at one time. It has installed protective screens at checkouts and is asking customers to pay by card where possible. Graeme Jenkins, Dobbies chief executive, said: “Our team is well prepared, social distancing measures are in place and we look forward to welcoming customers back into our stores across England.”
Homewares retailer Dunelm reopened seven stores in the Midlands and plans to gradually open many more over the coming weeks. The chain, classed as essential under government lockdown regulations, closed all stores and its website in March in an effort to ensure staff and customers remained safe. It has now reopened online and shoppers can collect orders from the majority of stores from today.
