McDonald’s is carrying out tests behind closed doors this week in preparation for reopening branches.
The fast-food chain closed all of its restaurants last month in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rivals such as Burger King and KFC have reopened their first sites for delivery and takeaway over the past week.
Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s chief executive officer for UK and Ireland, said it decided to close its restaurants temporarily for “the safety of our people and customers” but has recently begun looking at a “potential and limited reopening”.
Mr Pomroy said the business was “carrying out some operational tests to explore what our reopening might look like” throughout this week.
He said the tests will include exploring social distancing measures for staff, PPE options and opening in a limited capacity.
McDonald’s provided no details regarding when it intends to reopen its first restaurants for orders from the public.
Mr Pomroy added: “Restarting our business is not an easy task even when reopening in a limited capacity.
“For now we remain closed, and will only reopen when we are absolutely confident we can have the right measures in place to ensure everyone’s wellbeing.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
