THE opening of a new drive-through McDonald’s has created 115 jobs in Poole.

The restaurant at Mannings Heath Retail Park, Tower Park, is described by the chain as ‘state of the art’.

It features digital menu boards, with Samsung tablet computers on the tables. Customers can use traditional tills or new self-order kiosks.

There is a two-lane drive-through with two order points and two collection points for quick service.

The mayor and mayoress of Poole, Cllr Peter Adams and wife Brenda, presided over the official opening, along with Heidi Palfrey, house manager of local Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Business manager Rachel Unsworth said: “It’s an honour for our McDonald’s team to serve the Poole community and I would like to thank the mayor and Heidi for attending the official opening; it was a pleasure to meet them and show them what the new restaurant has to offer the local community and those employed at the restaurant.

“For example, all staff have access to a solid learning ladder of opportunities to benefit their career and help improve the skills of our staff, which will in turn have a positive impact on our customers.”

Guests were told about career development opportunities at Mc Donald’s. All 115 staff will have access to nationally recognised qualifications, including the McDonald’s level two apprenticeship and foundation degree in managing business operations.

Cllr Adams said: “I was pleased to be invited to officially open the new restaurant. It was very interesting to learn of the opportunities it will offer to local people, and I wish them success for the future.”

McDonald’s last year marked the 40th anniversary of its arrival in the UK, at the same time as announcing plans to create 8,000 jobs nationally over the next three years. It says its business is worth an estimated £2.5bn a year to the UK economy.

The brand began in 1940, when Maurice and Richard McDonald moved the family’s hamburger stand from Monrovia to San Bernardino in California and renamed it McDonald’s Bar-B-Q.

A new building was designed in 1952 with the now-famous ‘golden arches’ in yellow sheet metal trimmed with neon, and the McDonald’s began seeking franchisees the same year. The chain achieved huge growth in the 1960s, becoming a public company in 1965.

The first UK McDonald’s, opened on November 13, 1974, in Woolwich, was also the company’s 3,000th restaurant.