New McDonald’s Restaurant Opens at Helston Business Park

The lettering on the wall of Helston’s newest restaurant started life as used coffee grounds.

That recycled wall lettering is one of a long list of features McDonald’s has packed into its brand-new Helston restaurant, which opened its doors today, Wednesday 3rd June. The opening has brought more than 60 new jobs to the town along with it.

More than 60 jobs created

The 150-seater restaurant has created more than 60 new full and part-time roles for the local area. There is seating for 80 people inside and another 70 outside.

It is open for dine-in, takeaway, Drive Thru, Click & Serve and McDelivery, with opening hours of 6am to 11pm, seven days a week. The restaurant sits at Helston Business Park, Clodgey Lane, Helston, TR13 8FZ.

McDonald’s says the building was developed in close collaboration with local businesses.

A first for franchisee Mark Cornish

The opening marks the first new restaurant for franchisee Mark Cornish, who has worked at McDonald’s for more than 30 years. He started at the business in 1992 and worked through a number of roles, from Crew Member to Regional Director, more recently heading up the McDelivery team before becoming a franchisee. He now owns and operates three McDonald’s restaurants in Cornwall.

“Becoming a McDonald’s Franchisee was an ambition I have had since I started at the business in 1992, and I am delighted to be opening a brand-new McDonald’s restaurant in Helston,” Mark said. “This is my first new restaurant in Cornwall after acquiring two other restaurants in the county and we can’t wait to welcome local customers to the restaurant to enjoy the experiences we have on offer.”

He added: “People are at the heart of our business, and we look forward to welcoming new employees with the jobs our restaurant will create. We’re committed to investing in opportunities for a mix of all ages, life stages and backgrounds, promoting flexibility and equality.”

Built around how people order

The restaurant has been built in line with the McDonald’s Reimaging programme, which the company says combines a new layout with the latest technology. There are dedicated areas for the different ways to order, plus a new kitchen design and a dedicated waiting area for delivery couriers. McDonald’s says this will let crew serve both customers and couriers more quickly, efficiently and accurately.

What makes it greener

McDonald’s has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030 across all its restaurants and offices. The Helston restaurant includes a range of sustainable design features:

• The steel used in the building is certified with Environmental Policy Declarations, making it among the lowest-impact steel manufactured in the UK
• Sheep’s wool instead of synthetic alternatives for insulation
• Reduced glazing to the shopfront and serving booths, which cuts the energy needed for heating and cooling
• Recycled plastic for the lining of the roof parapet panels
• Solar panels on the roof to generate on-site renewable electricity
• Timber window frames and partition walls in place of the traditional aluminium and steel frames
• A fully modular building that can be reused in the future
• Wall lettering made from recycled material, including McDonald’s own used coffee grounds