The owner of three fast-food restaurants in Bradford is planning to invest around £500,000 upgrading them as trade continues to rise.

Former banker Duncan Taylor owns three McDonald’s franchises in the city along with two more in Sheffield.

His Thornbury restaurant has already undergone a £300,000 refurbishment and is now an around-the-clock operation, with a drive-through service between midnight and 6am.

Duncan is now planning to invest in his restaurants in Kirkgate and Forster Square later this year.

The former banker has invested in 20-year franchises, the minimum required by McDonald’s, and improved business to employ 280 people, including 160 in Bradford.

Before buying the franchises he had to train unpaid for 12 months and earn his McDonald’s stars working in a restaurant, doing jobs ranging from flipping burgers to cleaning tables.

Duncan said: “It means that I know and understand the business from the bottom up and appreciate what my staff need to know and the jobs they do.

“McDonald’s provided me with a good business opportunity as a franchise owner, which is the way more than 60 per cent of the restaurants are run. The 20-year franchise means I am in it for the long haul, and that gives me the chance to develop and grow my restaurants.”

Mr Taylor believes the ‘fast food’ tag gives a misleading impression of McDonald’s. He said the burgers had always been made from 100 per cent beef and the menus were regularly changed, and now include organic meals, fresh eggs and a bigger choice of healthy options.

He said: “They are no longer just burger bars but offer people everything from breakfast to coffee breaks serving a range of beverages including lattes.”