Surreal being back – with table service
McDONALD’S is back serving fries and burgers to eager customers inside its restaurants, but things are a little bit different from what you may remember.
We visited a Glasgow branch to see exactly what changes diners can expect.
Despite expecting to see a long queue outside, the restaurant was relatively quiet on a rainy Wednesday lunchtime, with many people ordering their food to go.
Staff ensured not too many people were inside at one time and asked if you were sitting in or taking away.
A friendly worker advised customers to use the hand sanitiser dispenser at the entrance before taking their order. There were signs on the door with safety and social distancing instructions and floor markers showing a one-way system around the burger bar.
Staff, who all wore masks, helped customers to order a meal at the self-service machine before advising them to keep their receipt number.
If you are really prepared, you can order your food through the McDonald’s app to speed up the process.
But where do you go to eat your food? Gone are the days of choosing a random seat or booth. Table service is just one of the new features of the dine-in experience, with staff leading you to your seat which has an allocated number before you are told to wait for your food.
It took less than five minutes for the large quarter pounder with cheese and a coffee to arrive.
Despite a notice on the door advising customers they would be asked for their “name and contact details when eating in”, our reporter found the process should have been more clear.
It can can be done by using smartphones to either scan a QR code taking them to a dedicated web page or visiting that web page directly with the URL details provided on each table.
Record reporter Sophie Law said: “It was a surreal experience being back in a McDonald’s for the first time in four months.
“Staff were well-prepared and knew exactly what they were doing and even helped me order my food so I got a cheaper deal.
“The table service was a rare but pleasant experience. It felt safe and clean and wasn’t crowded at all.”
Staff were all well prepared and it felt safe and clean