Big Mac is great for the local economy

An independent economic report commissioned by McDonald’s to mark its 40th anniversary in the UK, reveals the business and its suppliers make a combined annual contribution of £7.2 million to the Ipswich economy.

McDonald’s opened its first Ipswich-based restaurant in August 1986 on Tavern Street.

There are now five restaurants in the local Ipswich area, employing more than 400 people.

The ‘Serving the UK: McDonald’s at 40 Report’ was researched to assess the overall contribution McDonald’s has made to the UK economy, local communities, its employees, customers and suppliers since it first started operating in the UK in November 1974.

The report finds that overall the business and its supply chain is estimated to be worth £2.5 billion annually to the UK economy - and that over the past 40 years, the total economic contribution is £40 billion.

Ipswich franchisee, Mark Richards began his McDonald’s career over 32 years ago and now runs twelve restaurants across Suffolk including all five restaurants in Ipswich.

His restaurants contribute £12 million to the local economy and he employs almost 900 people.

He said: “Being part of the Ipswich community is hugely important to me, and I’m thrilled to see the impact our jobs contribution in particular has made to the local area.

“I am firm a believer that you need to be part of a community to be successful in that community, and as such I am passionate about giving young people especially the chance to get workplace experience. We have a fantastic education programme in place that we have worked hard to build, meaning that all of my people, from a crew member starting out in their first job, to a restaurant manager have the chance to learn whilst they earn.

“My ambition is to continue the great work that my teams are already doing in Ipswich from daily litter patrols to supporting larger scale community events for many more years to come.”

Stefan Witte started working at McDonald’s four years ago whilst studying for his A-Levels. He said: “Once I learnt of the opportunities for progression on offer at McDonald’s I decided to turn my job into a career rather than go to university. I have now completed the Apprenticeship Programme and am currently going through the Shift Management Training. With rising tuition fees, the option to learn key skills and further your career, while also earning money is incredibly beneficial and an attractive proposition for many young people like me.”

Jill McDonald, North West Division President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald’s UK, said: “To mark our 40 years in the UK we wanted to take a close look at our economic and community impact, from the jobs we have created to the world leading supply chain we have built. I’m incredibly proud of the investments we have been able to make and how our franchisees and employees are at the heart of hundreds of communities across the UK.

“By taking a responsible and long-term approach we have been able to support jobs for local people and create opportunities for UK-based businesses. Our continued growth will enable us to further expand our workforce with 8000 new jobs created over the next three years, and in many cases give thousands of young people a valuable opportunity to start building their careers.

“The foundations we have laid will help us make the right decisions for the future whether it’s continuing to invest in the customer experience, leading the way on support for British Farming, or employing and training even more people.”

Today, McDonald’s offers all its employees access to nationally-recognised qualifications as a benefit of working for the company. Employees have the opportunity to gain a range of nationally-recognised qualifications from adult certificates in Maths and English to apprenticeships and a Foundation Degree for restaurant managers.