They’re loving it... large queues as McDonald’s reopens

HUNDREDS of fast food fanatics descended on the Metrocentre on Tuesday as Tyneside’s first McDonald’s reopened its drivethru for the first time in weeks.

Footage captured by ChronicleLive shows hundreds of vehicles forming snaking queues in car parks while others are lining the streets with traffic reportedly backed up as far as the A1.

Police have been dispatched to other McDonald’s restaurants across the country to help traffic flow in the surrounding areas. However, as of 3pm Northumbria Police confirmed its officers have not been required to attend the Metrocentre branch.

It is one of 168 of the fast food restaurants to open from 11am yesterday, with hungry drivers desperate to get their favourites since lockdown began in March.

The outlets to have reopened are offering a limited menu via the drive-thru windows, and orders have been capped at £25 per vehicle with customers urged to use contactless payment.

Customers are also warned that it may take longer to prepare orders with limited staff working in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

But this has not put off the hundreds of McDonald’s fans who have descended on the Metrocentre and have spent hours queuing to get their fastfood fix.

The Metrocentre outlet is one of five McDonald’s in the North East to have opened its drive-thru yesterday.

The other four are located in County Durham including two in Darlington, one in Newton Aycliffe and a further branch in West Auckland.