McDonald’s has reopened its Douglas restaurant following a £1.6 million refurbishment.

The investment has led to the recruitment of 15 new staff, with a further five vacancies still to fill, bringing the total number of employees to more than 110.

The restaurant reopened at 11am on Thursday for a soft launch ahead of an official reopening on Saturday, when the ribbon will be cut.

The refurbishment is part of McDonald’s ‘Convenience of the Future’ upgrade programme, which is rolling out across the company’s UK and Ireland operations.

Seating has been reduced slightly from 106 to 103, but the restaurant now features a new contemporary design with a more open layout. The number of self-service kiosks has doubled from four to eight.

A redesigned kitchen includes a larger order-assembly area, allowing staff to handle more orders and serve customers more quickly.

The crew room has also been improved to provide a more comfortable space for employees.

The Douglas branch is owned and operated by franchisee Amir Afsar, who also runs 12 McDonald’s restaurants in Ireland.

Mr Afsar said: ‘At McDonald’s, we are passionate about feeding and fostering local communities, and we are pleased to welcome our loyal customers back to our new and improved Isle of Man restaurant.

‘Our job is to ensure that every experience is a great one for customers and crew, and we are confident these upgrades will help deliver a quicker, more seamless and convenient experience for all.

‘Our significant investment will also pave the way for further innovation across the McDonald’s restaurant estate in the UK and Ireland, allowing us to adapt to the evolving preferences of our customers and how they order and collect their food.’

A new ‘ready on arrival’ feature allows customers to place orders online and collect them on arrival, either in the restaurant or by car.

Mr Afsar added: ‘We have increased our kitchen substantially, which allows us to cope with higher volumes and introduce new products.’

The refurbishment also included upgrades to the restaurant’s electrics, plumbing and air conditioning systems.