There’s a new McDonald’s in the district of Santarém – it’s the chain’s 200th in Portugal
The opening in Rio Maior is a historic milestone for the fast food giant that arrived in Portugal more than 30 years ago.
It was 1991 when McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Portugal, on May 23rd at CascaiShopping. Adapting to the Portuguese market proved to be a winning strategy – over the years, the chain introduced several versions of regional specialties, such as the McFrancesinha (inspired by the traditional Porto dish), the McPrego, the Sopíssima range or the pastel de Nata.
Now, 33 years after its debut in Portugal, the fast food chain has reached a historic milestone: it has reached 200 restaurants in Portugal. The new space opened on February 2 in Rio Maior, more precisely on Avenida Mário Soares. It has 127 seats inside, 54 on the terrace, the usual play area for children and a parking lot with 43 spaces. The opening meant the creation of 60 new jobs.
“I’m very proud to be opening my 200th restaurant after 20 years as a franchisee. Being the first in the region, we will reinforce the brand’s commitment and importance as a social agent, committing ourselves to boosting the local community,” said Xhonané Geallad, a McDonald’s franchisee.
McDonald’s currently has more than 10,000 employees and more than 45 franchisees – local entrepreneurs responsible for managing more than 90 percent of the brand’s restaurants in Portugal.
Read also this NiT article about the new McCrispy with honey mustard sauce. A heavy recipe for chicken fans, “crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside”, the brand assures us.