Just one more Big Mac! Fast-food fans queue at McDonald’s drive-thrus for a final meal before burger giant closes all UK branches at 7pm today amid coronavirus shutdown
- Hungry drive-thru customers were seen waiting in Kent and Team Valley
- Comes as many restaurant chains in the UK have closed because of coronavirus
- McDonald’s said it had made the ‘difficult decision’ to close its stores at 7pm
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Fast-food fans lined up for their final fix this afternoon before McDonald’s closes its doors amid the coronavirus shutdown.
The chain, famous for the Big Mac will shut its branches up and down the UK today at 7pm.
Hungry drive-through customers were seen waiting in Kent, Byker, Team Valley and Silverlink today.
McDonald’s announced on Sunday that it had made the ‘difficult decision’ to temporarily shut down their restaurants from Monday, March 23 as Covid-19 fears escalate.
With every UK and Ireland branch of McDonald’s to close from 7pm, customers on Tyneside made one final pilgrimage to the golden arches before the fast food firm becomes the latest coronavirus casualty
Drivers form a long queue to use a McDonald’s drive-thru near Dover in Kent this afternoon
Massive queues form at the McDonalds restaurant in Byker, Newcastle. The chain will close nationwide at 7pm
However, that resulted in huge queues outside McDonald’s restaurants in the North East.
Vehicles queued to get to the drive-thru at restaurants at Silverlink, Team Valley and Byker.
At least ten cars were crammed into the drive-thru space in Tyneside this afternoon as many got what could be their final Mcdonald’s for months to come.
A shorter version of the statement posted on the McDonald’s Twitter account last night that details its reasons for closure
Cars were seen in Tyneside this afternoon, but what will they choose? Fillet o fish or chicken selects
This is while in Kent a line had also formed around the restaurant.
In Byker in Newcastle queues were around the street for people trying to order their last treat.
As well as McDonald’s, Costa Coffee, Subway and Nando’s also announced the temporary closure of all their UK sites.
In a statement regarding its closure Paul Pomroy, Chief Executive Officer of McDonald’s in the UK & Ireland said: ‘Over the last 24 hours, it has become clear that maintaining safe social distancing whilst operating busy takeaway and Drive Thru restaurants is increasingly difficult and therefore we have taken the decision to close every restaurant in the UK and Ireland by 7pm on Monday 23rd March at the latest.’