McDonald’s has opened its first UK ‘dark kitchen’ in Hounslow in a bid to meet a boom in demand for home deliveries.
The kitchen in Hanworth is not attached to a restaurant and will be used to prepare food to meet the growing appetite for McDonald’s deliveries direct to customers via apps such as Uber Eats.
A McDonald’s spokesman told Property Week that the move was “part of a wider trial to test different restaurant formats”.
He added that the opening of the kitchen would “ensure that restaurants in the surrounding area can provide the service and convenience that our customers expect, ensuring that McDelivery customers have a great experience”.
It will be made clear on McDonald’s customers’ receipts and on the UberEats app that the food has been prepared at the Hanworth kitchen rather than a traditional restaurant.
“The kitchen looks and feels exactly the same as all our other kitchens up and down the country, and will deliver the same great-tasting food our customers expect,” said the spokesman. “It will adhere to exactly the same standards of food quality.”
The move comes as other fast-food companies look for ‘dark kitchen’ space to meet booming demand from home delivery.
Uber founder Travis Kalanick bought 100 dark kitchens in March with the intention of renting the spaces out to fast-food companies
Delivery chain Deliveroo has 16 dark kitchens operating across the UK.
AGL acted for McDonald’s.
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