Wed 31st Jul 2019 - McDonald’s UK trials new ‘to Go’ concept McDonald’s UK trials new ‘to Go’ concept: McDonald’s UK has begun trialling a new “to Go” concept in London, which has seen it remove in-store seating and focus purely on offering takeaway options. The company said the pilot “McDonald’s to Go” site in Fleet Street, which opened earlier today (Wednesday, 31 July), would focus on speed of service catering for people on the move. The company intimated more sites under the concept could follow if it proves successful. The new grab-and-go format will offer a reduced menu of freshly prepared McDonald’s products that will be takeaway only. Alongside menu favourites such as McNuggets, big flavour wraps and the Big Mac, later this year the restaurant will also trial a selection of new prepared salads. Fleet Street will also feature new branding on takeaway bags as well as a new uniform for restaurant crew. McDonald’s said the new concept will allow it to trial different and flexible formats depending on the local needs of customers in the surrounding areas. The Fleet Street example will be a smaller format with no seating area and smaller self-order screens. The company said its opening hours would also reflect the needs of that customer base. Henry Trickey, senior vice-president development and IT, McDonald’s UK and Ireland, said: “It’s an exciting, but challenging time to be in the restaurant sector. Changing tastes, new technology and more competition mean we need to continue to focus on investing in what matters most to our customers. We know ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and that’s exactly why we are launching McDonald’s to Go – to allow us to trial different formats in different locations, depending on customer needs. In Fleet Street, where city workers are looking for something quick to grab on the go, it makes sense to test a smaller format – no seating and takeaway only with a reduced menu will allow us to focus on speed of service. However, the next McDonald’s to Go could look very different. This is all about testing and learning – we’ll see what works and listen to the customer response. Of course, some things will still feel very familiar about Fleet Street; great tasting food, served quickly at a competitive price by our brilliant people. We absolutely remain committed to our existing formats on the high street and with drive-thru, and the convenience offered through McDelivery and My McDonald’s app.” The launch of McDonald’s to Go comes as the business celebrates 45 years in the UK – a period in which it has invested £4.3bn in its restaurants and created more than 2.1 million jobs, either directly or indirectly as a result of investment in its supply chain.