Downham Market's lovin' it: Take a look inside town's new McDonald's

A market town's new McDonald's restaurant has officially opened to a stream of excited customers today.

Downham residents were keen to visit the fast food restaurant on Bexwell Road, when it officially opened its doors at 11am.

Customers were greeted with balloons and a fresh interior when entering the restaurant for the first time.

The store has created 90 jobs, with many of the staff starting their new positions today.

The new branch, which is open 24/7, has a sit-in restaurant and drive-thru.

To mark the occasion a cake was made replicating Downham's iconic town clock, with an added McDonald's logo.

Customers had been eager for the opening of the new restaurant.

One of them was Oliver Watts, who said: "We've been waiting a while really, but I actually forgot it opened today, so we travelled up to Lynn to get breakfast and we're back here to get two McFlurrys.

"We live down the back of Hillcrest, we always travel to Lynn to get McDonald's. It's a waste of petrol really, so this here is really convenient."

Another customer from Southery said they had called in to the restaurant while they were running errands.

And Nicole and Ingrid, from Downham, said: "We live around the corner and we're really happy for it to be opening. We've been fed up of having to go to Lynn just for McDonald's, it's a nice treat for the kids and to be able to go locally is even better."

The Downham store is one of the first Convenience of the Future restaurants to open across the country, which will see improved car park layouts, a new kitchen design, improved break spaces and a dedicated courier waiting area rolled out across all its restaurants.

Electric car charging points will also available for customers to use at the Downham restaurant.

Franchisee Martin Redhead, who also runs other stores in the area, said: “My team and I are excited to have opened a brand new McDonald’s restaurant in Downham Market.

"It’s fantastic to be able to offer more jobs within the local area with great training opportunities for everyone.

"Our investment in Convenience of the Future will deliver a quicker and more seamless experience for our customers and crew and it paves the way for further innovation as we continue to respond to evolving needs.

"We’re looking forward to seeing our customers enjoy our services on offer.”

Reporting by Molly Nicholas and Lucy Carter