The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim has welcomed the creation of 120 jobs at the new McDonald’s Larne restaurant.

The dual lane Drive-Thru restaurant is among the first of McDonald’s ‘Convenience of the Future’ restaurants across the UK and Ireland.

Mayor Councillor William McCaughey said: “I am delighted that an internationally renowned brand such as McDonald’s has chosen to reinvest in Mid and East Antrim, and I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the new team in Larne.

“The announcement of 120 jobs in the new Larne restaurant is fantastic news for the local economy and is an acknowledgement of what the area has to offer for future investment and growth.”

The new roles at the 80-seater restaurant range from crew member to managerial and include both full and part-time positions.

The restaurant will offer customers both table service and mobile ordering dining options. The My McDonald’s app will provide contact-free ordering for dine-in, Drive-Thru and takeaway offerings, allowing customers to browse the menu at their own leisure as well as customise their order.

Its opening comes as the brand announces an investment of over £250 million over the next four years in a programme to redesign some of its restaurant estate.

With consumers increasingly looking for greater speed, efficiency and choice in how they order their food, the ambitious ‘Convenience of the Future’ upgrade programme will see McDonald’s UK & I shake up the way its restaurants operate to reflect the increasingly diverse ways that customers can order and keep pace with customer expectations today and tomorrow.

While the traditional walk-in and Drive-Thru remain core to how customers order, the redesign of McDonald’s kitchens and dining areas will better integrate digital sales channels, MyMcDonald’s App, and make smarter use of space. Reflecting the rise in delivery, which marks its five-year anniversary this June, a separate delivery courier collection area is also being introduced.

With approximately 50% of sales now going through digital channels, including McDelivery, mobile, and self-order screens, the restaurant revamp will also provide restaurant teams with the technology, equipment, and space to work together more effectively and better manage more complex or personalised orders.

Paddy Cusack, Franchisee of the new McDonald’s Larne restaurant, said: “We are excited to be opening McDonald’s newest restaurant today in Larne, marking the first Convenience of the Future restaurant in Northern Ireland.

“The benefits realised through our investment in Convenience of the Future are two-fold. Firstly, it will deliver a quicker, more seamless and more convenient experience for our customers, delivery partners and crew. And, secondly, it paves the way for further innovation in the future as we continue to respond to the evolving needs and preferences of our customers in terms of how they order and collect their food.”

Located beside the Circular Road roundabout, the new Larne restaurant brings McDonald’s portfolio of restaurants to three across the borough, with other restaurants located in Ballymena and Carrickfergus.