Additional reporting by Claire Mc Cormack
McDonald’s has announced that all its restaurants in Ireland and the UK will close tomorrow evening, Monday March 23.
In a statement on its Irish website, outlining its decision to close due to Covid-19, the multinational fastfood giant said:
“We have taken the difficult decision to close all McDonald’s restaurants in the UK and Ireland by 7:00pm on Monday, March 23, at the latest.
This is not a decision we are taking lightly but one made with the well-being and safety of our employees in mind, as well as in the best interests of our customers.
“We will work with local community groups to responsibly distribute food and drink from our restaurants in the coming days.”
McDonald’s paid tribute to its employees “for their hard work during this incredibly challenging time”.
“We look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it is safe for us to reopen,” the food giant’s statement concluded.
Largest buyer of Irish beef
The news will come as a body blow to the Irish beef sector at this time, with McDonald’s claiming the title of the largest buyer of Irish beef by volume every year.
The firm sources beef from 18,000 Irish farms for hamburgers across Europe.
We purchase 40,000t of beef which is then exported to other European markets, meaning that every year one in five hamburgers sold in McDonald’s in Europe is of Irish origin.
The company also highlighted its Bord Bia certified member logo on its beef products to back its Irish quality credentials.