McDonald’s to roll out table service at hundreds of United Kingdom restaurants

It doesn’t end there either as the Golden Arch’s big bosses are also planning to double the number of restaurants (currently 28) who serve the Michelin-approved Signature Collection with thicker beef.

The rollout will take place over the next two years.

The launch of all-day breakfast boosted McDonald’s comparable sales in its core USA market, which accounts for a third of its revenues, by 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter.

Faced with growing competition from high-quality burger brands like Shake Shack and Five Guys, McDonald’s’ step towards gourmet burgers is by no means coincidental. Sales have grown for 39 consecutive quarters and recorded a “mid-single-digit” rise year on year in the final three months of 2015, although the company declined to be more specific.

“Investing in our customer experience is paramount”, said Paul Pomroy, CEO of McDonald’s UK.

Last year, McDonald’s trialled table service at restaurants in the south, as well as a premium range of food – and now the scheme is being rolled out to around 400 United Kingdom restaurants, with a North East venue forming part of the first wave of the new-style eateries.

The first McDonalds was opened in the United Kingdom in 1974 and there are now 1,250 restaurants across the country. Its “signature collection” – served in a brioche bun as if Jamie Oliver has just bashed it together out back as a personal favour to his mate Ronald – will soon be found in 60 of the company’s United Kingdom locations. “There are also plans to introduce table service in Ireland before the end of 2016”.

However, the company has slowed down in the rest of the world, particularly in the United States, and its chief executive is attempting to revitalise the fast food chain’s fortunes.

Neil Saunders, a retail analyst at Conlumino, said: “This momentum is important as it signals McDonald’s is reconnecting with consumers, which is driving both customer traffic and sales”.