McDonald's in Heckmondwike reopens after refurbishment

The fast-food chain's restaurant in Heckmondwike, which is located in the Northgate Centre retail area, shut on July 3.

This was so the dining area could be reimaged.

The reimaged dining area at Heckmondwike McDonald's (Image: McDonald's)

The store underwent a ‘Convenience of the Future’ redesign two years ago and the dining area was the last area to be completed.

It officially opened its doors again to the public on Wednesday. 

Heckmondwike McDonald's is owned and operated by local franchisee, Pritpal Singh, who looks after 15 other restaurants under the household American brand across Yorkshire, including in the Bradford district.

Staff at Heckmondwike's McDonald's (Image: McDonald's)

He said: "We’re thrilled to unveil our fresh, contemporary dining area at the Heckmondwike restaurant and we look forward to welcoming back our local customers".

McDonald's UK&I introduced its 'Convenience of the Future' scheme in 2022, with 200 restaurants set to be converted that year, and 800 in total over four years.

It was announced there would be a £250 million investment to make this a reality.

Some of the features of the programme include redesigning the front counter, a dedicated courier waiting area and entrance, a new kitchen design, improved car park layout, and improved break spaces for staff members.

The focus of this is to better integrate digital sales channels, while also providing for the traditional walk-in and Drive-Thru customers, who remain a core of the business.

The McDonald's in Heckmondwike went viral four years ago when Postman Pat was spotted going through the Drive-Thru.

It was the creation of Alton Tyrell, 40, originally from Bradford, who decided to jazz up a cheap scooter with a Postman Pat coin machine he spotted on eBay to put a smile on people's faces after the difficulty of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

Meanwhile, The Leeds Colton Mill Retail Park McDonald’s has also reopened after the restaurant underwent a redesign.

The McDonald's in Leeds Colton Mills celebrates reopening (Image: McDonald's)

Anne Wainwright, who owns and operates nine McDonald’s restaurants in West Yorkshire, said: "I’m proud to reinvest in our Leeds Colton Mill restaurant - especially as McDonald’s celebrates its 50th anniversary in the UK this year!

"The dining area is more contemporary, and we now have separate facilities for our dine-in customers and our couriers leading to a better experience for everyone.

"It’s exciting to see the fresh new look and feel of our Leeds restaurant and I’m confident the changes will not only benefit our customers but also our staff as they will help make their jobs a little easier."