Fast-food fans queue at McDonald’s drive-thrus for a final meal before burger giant closes

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

Massive queues form at the McDonald's restaurant in Byker, Newcastle. The chain will close nationwide at 7pm

Massive queues form at the McDonald’s restaurant in Byker, Newcastle. The chain will close nationwide at 7pm

Pictured: Customers queue outside Stockton's McDonald's as the restaurant prepares to close

Pictured: Customers queue outside Stockton’s McDonald’s as the restaurant prepares to close

An employee wears a mask to serve customers at a McDonald's drive-thru near Dover in Kent

An employee wears a mask to serve customers at a McDonald’s drive-thru near Dover in Kent

Will it be a Happy Meal or will you go for a Chicken Legend? People lined up in Dover for their last McDonald's

Will it be a Happy Meal or will you go for a Chicken Legend? People lined up in Dover for their last McDonald’s

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. 

This is while in Kent a line had also formed around the restaurant. 

Drivers form a long queue to use a McDonald's drive-thru near Dover in Kent this afternoon

Drivers form a long queue to use a McDonald’s drive-thru near Dover in Kent this afternoon 

A shorter version of the statement posted on the McDonald's Twitter account last night that details its reasons for closure

A shorter version of the statement posted on the McDonald’s Twitter account last night that details its reasons for closure 

Drivers form a long queue to use a McDonald's drive-thru near Dover in Kent this afternoon

Drivers form a long queue to use a McDonald’s drive-thru near Dover in Kent this afternoon

Cars were seen in Tyneside this afternoon, but what will they choose? Fillet o fish or chicken selects

Cars were seen in Tyneside this afternoon, but what will they choose? Fillet o fish or chicken selects 

In Byker in Newcastle queues were around the street for people trying to order their last treat. 

In one branch in Cambridgeshire, customers were not respecting social distancing guidelines and the police had to be called to ‘ask them to leave’.    

Cambridgeshire Live reported that drive through traffic was backing up in Barnwell this afternoon because of the amount of people wanting to eat. 

In the Wirral, queues for the drive-thru service went beyond the car park at the Upton restaurant with customers ‘literally queuing out the door’, Twitter user @stubeanhead said.

Would you like any sauce with that? McDonald's employees in Tyneside would have been rushed off their feet this afternoon

Would you like any sauce with that? McDonald’s employees in Tyneside would have been rushed off their feet this afternoon

As the death toll continues to rise in the UK people lined up to get served this afternoon in Tyneside

As the death toll continues to rise in the UK people lined up to get served this afternoon in Tyneside 

He added: ‘The queue for the drive through starts at the roundabout off the junction. How desperate are these people to have a burger? Are they willing to risk other people lives?’

There were long tail-backs at Gidea Park’s restaurant in Romford, while there were similar scenes in Sleaford in Lincolnshire and Birmingham.

In Mansfield, staff from various stores were forced to manage the masses of traffic.

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.’

The decision comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for pubs, clubs and restaurants to shut on Friday, although he stressed they could continue with a takeaway service. 

One man was seen walking out with a carton of drinks as well as his food order this afternoon as other people went in

One man was seen walking out with a carton of drinks as well as his food order this afternoon as other people went in 

Cars were seen outside one McDonald's in Kent this afternoon as many got their last fast-food fix

Cars were seen outside one McDonald’s in Kent this afternoon as many got their last fast-food fix

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