A BRAND-new McDonald’s restaurant opened on Joseph Locke Road, Crediton, today, Wednesday, February 26.

Following significant investment from local Franchisee David Shawyer, the restaurant is now open for Dine-in, Takeaway, Drive Thru and Click and Serve.

It is open 24 hours, seven days-a-week.

The 76 seat restaurant has created more than 90 new full and part-time jobs for the local community and features table-service, self-ordering kiosks, a large outside patio area with seating, and a Drive thru with smart digital menu boards.

The Mayor of Crediton, Cllr Guy Cochran, joined David and his team for the formal opening of the restaurant.

Cllr Cochran said: “I was very pleased to open our new McDonald’s in Crediton.

“I had my first McDonald’s meal way back in 1986.

“This restaurant will enhance the economy of the town and also increase footfall to the town - it will give it a big boost.

“I was very pleased to find out that it is employing so many local people and with excellent working conditions.”

David Shawyer, who now owns and operates 10 McDonald’s restaurants in Devon, said: “We are delighted to open a brand-new McDonald’s restaurant in Crediton and can’t wait to see local customers enjoy our services on offer.

“People are at the heart of our business and we look forward to welcoming new employees with the jobs our restaurant will create.

“We’re committed to investing in opportunities for a mix of all ages, life stages and backgrounds, promoting flexibility and equality”.

With consumers increasingly looking for greater speed, efficiency and choice when ordering their food, the Crediton 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 will 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.

The restaurant is also excited to announce the implementation of a series of sustainable innovations as the business works towards its target of achieving net zero emissions across all its restaurants and offices by 2030.

The Crediton restaurant features the latest innovations in sustainable building design throughout and the restaurant has been deliberately designed to retain the familiar McDonald’s look and feel.

The latest innovations include:

• Roof mounted solar panels to support on-site generation of renewable energy.

• Fully modular building.

• Timber window frames and partition walls have replaced the traditional aluminium and steel frames.

• Building materials from recycled material (including McDonald’s own coffee grounds).

And new trials exclusively starting in the Crediton restaurant include:

• Air windows which help to retain heat within the building, reducing the amount of energy the building will use.

• Plastic kerbstones made from recycled materials with built in internal drainage to reduce building materials.

First customers were Chloe Bright and Will Richards from Exeter who had come to Crediton to look at dog kennels.

Chloe said she was “excited to be the first customer” and was thankful that they both received a free meal.