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Netherlands McDonald's tests social distancing-inspired redesign for post-lockdown business
By Michael Hollan
Published May 03, 2020
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This could be the fast-food restaurant of the future.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a significant impact on the service industry, some restaurants are trying to adapt to the virus. As one McDonald’s in the Netherlands shows, things could be a bit more spacious down the road.
Customers waiting outside on social-distancing markings at a prototype location of fast-food giant McDonald's for restaurants which respect the 1.5m social distancing measure, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Arnhem, Netherlands. (REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw)
The fast-food chain is trialing a new design in the Dutch city of Arnhem, Reuters reports. The location puts an emphasis on promoting social distancing, which will likely still be asked of customers even after lockdowns are lifted.
Images of the McDonald’s show clear markings on the floor to show customers where to stand in relation to other customers. One photo even shows markings placed on the sidewalk and into the road, telling customers where exactly to stand while waiting on line.
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A customer cleans his hands before entering a prototype location of fast-food giant McDonald's for restaurants which respect the 1.5m social distancing measure, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Arnhem, Netherlands, May 1, 2020. (REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw)
Other photos show clear plastic barriers placed between tables, food being delivered on hand trolleys (the company may be implementing table service at some locations to limit interactions between customers and employees), and a handwashing and sanitizing station near the restaurant’s entrance.
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A woman uses a touch screen at a prototype location of fast-food giant McDonald's for restaurants which respect the 1.5m social distancing measure, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Arnhem, Netherlands, May 1, 2020. (REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw)
“We have tried to figure out how to keep our customers and employees safe while maintaining a restaurant atmosphere," Eunice Koekkoek, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s Netherlands, told Reuters. "These are drastic changes, but we hope to make them in a way that customers don’t notice them too much.”
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While it’s unclear if these changes will come to McDonald’s locations in the United States, a spokesperson told Business Insider that the company is moving “thoughtfully and judiciously to make changes to our operations in collaboration with our franchisees.”
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/mcdonalds-tests-social-distancing-inspired-redesign