The first McDonald’s to ever hit the UK in Woolwich has been given a high-tech makeover in light of the restaurant’s 40th anniversary.

The Powis Street restaurant, which began serving hungry Woolwich residents in November 1974 following its October grand opening, has been given a bold transformation which has created 20 new jobs.

The store now features new self-service kiosks, digital menu boards and tablet computers to compliment a modern interior and exterior as well as comfortable seating and free Wi-Fi.

Local franchisee Taimoor Sheikh, who owns and operates three McDonald’s restaurants in Woolwich and Thamesmead, said: “This November marks the 40th anniversary of McDonald’s in Woolwich, so we are thrilled to be able to commemorate this by rolling the next stage of our reimaging programme.

"Staying ahead of customer expectations is vital and the new technology we’ve introduced in this restaurant recognises the way people live their lives today. I'm also very keen to continue to invest in my community and expect to increase staff numbers by 20 as a result of the upgrade.”

McDonald’s employees will benefit from a new ‘crew room’ with comfortable seating, a television and a computer where staff can study for nationally recognised maths and English qualifications offered to employees as part of the McDonald’s prospectus.

The investment comes as part of an extensive ongoing refurbishment programme which has seen the vast majority of McDonald’s restaurants undergo transformation over the past eight years.