“Fantastic” state of the art new McDonald’s that enhances customer experience is officially opened

Councillor Angela Clear was at McDonald’s new venue in Whiteley Shopping Centre, Fareham, on Tuesday May 7 to cut the ribbon a week after the diner was opened to customers. 

The new dine-in 65-seat restaurant has created around 100 new jobs for the local community and features table service, self-ordering kiosks, and an outside seating area. Opening hours are 7am – 12am, seven days a week.

Cllr Clear cut the red ribbon outside the restaurant as well as a celebratory cake, whilst interacting with customers and crew at the restaurant. Council chairman for Whiteley Town, Mike Evans, was also in attendance.

With consumers increasingly looking for greater speed, efficiency and choice when ordering their food, the new Fareham restaurant has been built in-line with McDonald’s ambitious “Convenience of the Future” programme. This combines a new layout with the latest technology to create a more seamless and enjoyable experience for customers.

With dedicated areas for the different ways to order, the new restaurant offers a more efficient way to order and provides customers with adequate space to enjoy their meal. The new kitchen design and dedicated courier waiting area allow crew to better accommodate both courier and customer needs, meaning they will be able to serve more quickly, efficiently, and accurately than ever before.

A front counter redesign which will create specific areas for different sales channels, meaning more space for customers to enjoy their meal, less congestion around touchscreens, and shorter queues. Improved break spaces and redesigned crew rooms which will create a more relaxing and comfortable space for crew to take a well-deserved break.

McDonald’s franchisee, Jose Calaza, who now owns and operates 11 McDonald’s restaurants in Hampshire, said: “It was a privilege to have the mayor of Winchester officially open our restaurant to the community. The team has gone above and beyond to deliver the best possible customer experience and we can’t wait to continue welcoming local customers to the restaurant.”

Cllr Clear said: “It is always great to visit Whiteley and its shopping centre. It has a wide range of services and facilities include a fantastic selection of stores offering many retail options for the area’s residents and visitors alike. It’s my pleasure to welcome McDonald’s to Whiteley Shopping Centre, which offers a hub and a meeting place for all. We extend a warm welcome to the whole team.”

Mia Gordon, centre director at Whiteley, said: “It was a great privilege to welcome councillor Angela Clear, mayor of Winchester, to Whiteley to celebrate the opening of McDonald’s. The visit highlights just how exciting the newest addition to the centre is for the community, and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to the restaurant to grab a quick bite to eat after a busy day’s shopping.”