The Isle of Wight’s newest McDonald’s opens its doors in Newport later today (Wednesday) – and Island Echo has had a sneak peek inside the brand new 24-hour restaurant.
The drive-thru at Newport Retail Park, off St George’s Way, will officially open at 11:00 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with Big Macs set to fly out the door as Islanders descend on the much-anticipated fast food outlet, known as St George’s Field.
It was in December 2018 that Island Echo first revealed that McDonald’s looked set to form part of plans for the redevelopment of the former Newport IW football ground. However, franchisee Steve Smith has revealed that discussions have been ongoing for around 20 years.
Now, the Island Echo team have been among the first to step inside the new restaurant for a behind-the-scenes look – and we even got to pull a McFlurry!
Around 125 jobs have been created by the opening of the Island’s third McDonald’s, complementing the existing Newport town centre restaurant and the drive-thru on Brading Road in Ryde – which opened in December 1999. SPS Restaurants also operate stores in Christchurch and St Helier, Jersey.
The new Isle of Wight restaurant boasts the newest store design, a children’s outdoor play area, solar panels on the roof and features a separate McDelivery entrance for delivery drivers. It has a total of 141 seats, with seating and tables made from recycled plastic.
McDonald’s is among the major names taking up residence at Newport Retail Park, with the likes of Aldi, B&M, Costa Coffee, Wren Kitchens and Superdrug all set to open by Christmas.
It is understood that SPS Restaurants aim to open a fourth McDonald’s in Lake by mid-2027, with plans still in the pipeline for a fifth restaurant in Cowes.
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