Liverpool McDonald's could close for a number of weeks amid major revamp plans

McDonald’s fans in Liverpool could be without their favourite restaurant for a number of weeks amid new refurbishment plans.

Proposals have been lodged with Liverpool Council for a series of upgrades at the New Mersey Shopping Park location in Speke, which could see the site close to hungry shoppers for a period of time as amendments are made to the drive-thru. As part of the designs, additional bays for ordering could be introduced for customers hoping to grab a bite to eat on the go.

According to a planning document submitted to the local authority, the American franchise chain hopes to refurbish the building at the centre of the shopping park, with the construction of new access doors and extensions.

A key component of the works would include replacement drive-thru booths and reconfiguration of the lanes used by motorists on site. This would enable the business to offer side-by-side ordering like a number of its other restaurants across the city and the installation of an additional customer order display. A height restrictor, referred to as a ‘goal post’ would also be put in place as part of the reshaping of the location, to deter oversized vehicles.

Despite the changes to the drive-thru, the car park for those waiting for orders or dining in would be reduced from 17 to 13 bays.

Gareth Pearson, McDonald’s chief restaurant officer, said: “The pace of change within the restaurant industry is relentless, and the pandemic accelerated this with digital adoption gathering greater pace. Our customers rightly expect to have choice in how and where they order and collect their food, and our job is to ensure that every experience is a great one.

“For this to be the case, we know we also must provide our restaurant teams and delivery partners with the best possible environment to work in. We strongly believe we have to continue to invest to grow, and this investment not only addresses how customers are ordering now but provides us with a platform to continue to adapt in the future, whatever that innovation looks like.

“This is a particularly exciting time to be introducing these upgrades as McDonald’s celebrates its 50th year in the UK.”

The proposals are the latest by the fast-food giant to make changes to its restaurants in the Liverpool City Region. It was announced earlier this month, a new location would open in Southport town centre after being approved by Sefton Council’s planning committee.

The unit, at Central 12 retail park on Derby Road in Southport, has been empty for the past 15 years after being vacated in the early 2000s by the Royal Doulton shop.

In July last year, the Liscard branch in Wallasey on the Wirral closed its doors for a month while undergoing a transformation. McDonald’s said at the time it had prepared for additional demand at its other locations in response to the closure.

A date has yet to be set for the plans to be considered by Liverpool Council’s planning department.