It’s a case of “see you soon” for McDonald’s in Kilkenny and Carlow.
The Hebron Road and Kennedy Avenue fast food outlets are set to close tomorrow by 7pm at the latest as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to shutter restaurants and cafés.
This comes as part of a sweeping move by the US chain to close all UK and Irish stores saying “it is not a decision we are taking lightly”.
Statement
In a statement released by McDonald’s UK via Facebook, they say they will reopen when it is safe to do so.
“We have taken the difficult decision to close all McDonald’s restaurants in the UK and Ireland by 7pm on Monday 23rd March 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 responsible distribute food and drink from our restaurants in the coming days.”
“Thank you to our brilliant 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.”
A blow to farmers
The closure of McDonald’s restaurants around the country will be seen as a blow to Irish farmers.
McDonald’s are one of the biggest buyers of Irish beef, buying more than 400m burgers a year.
In the region of 6,000 workers are employed in the Republic with over 3,000 in Northern Ireland.
