As part of a £1 billion development effort, McDonald's intends to establish over 200 locations in the UK and Ireland over the next four years.

As part of the new offer, "drive to" restaurants—which include a parking lot, a tiny dining space, and no drive-through—as well as "other smaller formats" will be put to the test.

With this change, the fast-food company would have 1,700 more locations in the UK and Ireland—an increase of more than a tenth.

The plans demonstrate McDonald's "ongoing commitment" to development and job creation in the two nations, according to Alistair Macrow, the company's UK and Ireland head.

The expansion would produce over 24,000 employees, according to McDonald's.

Additionally, a "renewed focus" on High Street eateries was announced by the corporation.

Due to a large number of eateries closing, retail real estate analyst Jonathan DeMello told the BBC that rent on High Street apartments had "come down significantly post-covid."

"A huge amount of restaurant space has come back to the market," he stated.

Additionally, he added that McDonald's will likely target retail parks outside of London and other south-east English towns and cities, despite the fact that he claimed that rents in those areas have increased due to demand.

According to Mr. DeMello, McDonald's may be responding to declining borrowing rates and a rebounding economy in addition to taking advantage of lower rents.

According to Mr. DeMello, the company's emphasis on the UK and Ireland in particular is probably motivated by those markets' perceived "stability" during a period when sales have been negatively impacted by international strife.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the corporation withdrew from the country; also, sales have been negatively hurt by boycotts in the Middle East and other nations due to its alleged support of Israel's assault in Gaza.

(Sources: bbc.co.uk)