• When did McDonalds open in Burnley?

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:31 pm**

Anyone know?

Talking about it in the pub?

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:32 pm**

Guessing 86/7

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:33 pm**

6am I think

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:42 pm**

I think fat boy isn’t far off, but I’d put it slightly earlier by a year - 18 months. I had my first McD’s in Accrington 87-8 but they’d been around a year or so in Burnley town centre. I remember it opening, but I’d have had my mind on a Lancashire torpedo they used to sell in the Market… or a pudding and mustard. Happy days.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:45 pm**

Macdonalds ... The modern day Public Toilets ... its about all I use em for

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:52 pm**

Bosscat wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:45 pm
Macdonalds ... The modern day Public Toilets ... its about all I use em for

Pretty much what your average Nevadan thinks. They chose Wendies, Burger King and then McDonalds. I only remember that because it took me by surprise (it was 1999 i think) there was a debate between a gaggle of locals we joined in a night out. The barman then confirmed it pretty universally the opinion in Vegas. Odd what you remember

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:12 pm**

steve1264b wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:31 pm
Anyone know?

Talking about it in the pub?

Do you often have such interesting conversations in the pub)

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:12 pm**

2 Bee Holed wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:12 pm
Do you often have such interesting conversations in the pub.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:48 pm**

fatboy47 wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:32 pm
Guessing 86/7

Miles out, it was 1974

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:53 pm**

Before it was McDonald's it was a restaurant called The Musketeer

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:53 pm**

It was either 1983 or 84

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:56 pm**

AGENT_CLARET wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:48 pm
Miles out, it was 1974

I honestly don't know but, if one's 'miles out' I'd guess at it being your 1974 suggestion. I did some work on Manchester's first and that was 82 or 83, I can't believe Burnley had one eight years earlier.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:56 pm**

Was early 80s - probably 82 or 83

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:56 pm**

steve1264b wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 6:31 pm
Anyone know?

Talking about it in the pub?

https://www.answers.com/Q/What_Year_did ... re_England

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:57 pm**

Destroyed Wimpy

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:16 pm**

AGENT_CLARET wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 7:48 pm
Miles out, it was 1974

Definitely not 1974.

Either 82/83 I'd say

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:18 pm**

I had my first McDonalds on Fifth Avenue in NYC in 1980.
I took one bite and spat it out. I opened it up and found it smothered in mustard, which I hate.
Put me off McDonalds for life. Never had one since.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:23 pm**

We were actually talking about the wimpey and then discussed mcdonalds opening. I was born 65 but didnt think i was working when it opened!

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:48 pm**

Went for a friend's birthday party there ( it was a thing then, might still be as far as I know) when I was about 8 or 9. It had just opened and it was 1984. And it was **** !

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:50 pm**

I remember how old I was when I first went in, (sad I know) which makes it 1984

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:52 pm**

first on in uk 1974 woolwich

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:57 pm**

About McDonald's Princess Way Burnley.

Since 1974, McDonald's has been dedicated to serving quality food and quick service, at an affordable price for our customers. Visit McDonald's Princess Way Burnley and choose from a menu of favourites, including McCafé® coffee, tasty breakfasts, delicious burgers like our Quarter Pounder®* with Cheese, McPlant, and more!

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:07 pm**

About '82 or '83.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:21 pm**

Commy wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:57 pm
About McDonald's Princess Way Burnley.

Since 1974, McDonald's has been dedicated to serving quality food and quick service, at an affordable price for our customers. Visit McDonald's Princess Way Burnley and choose from a menu of favourites, including McCafé® coffee, tasty breakfasts, delicious burgers like our Quarter Pounder®* with Cheese, McPlant, and more!

Well that’s definitely not right
Princess Way only opened a few years ago, after the college relocated.

I think that bio relates to McDonalds in general not specifically that location

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:25 pm**

Defo ‘82 or ‘83. 1974? Give your head a wobble.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:29 pm**

Tbf does anyone really care

I wish this WC was over

then we could get back to arguing over how sh!t Barnes was until he stuck The Keeper in the B'stards net

etc etc

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:30 pm**

I thought about 82-84 ish. I remember doing the birthday party thing too. They gave you a tour of the kitchens and one of the lucky party got to walk into the giant freezer. Seem to remember them 'jokingly' pretend to lock them in. Ahhh the good old days!

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 10:39 pm**

Each restaurant had a number on opening. For instance, Market Street in Manchester was number 100 which opened in 1984. This was the flagship at the time. Close to this time was 103 - Bury. And 107 - Burnley. I think Rochdale was about 104. Predominantly only town centre located at those times I think it was Fallowfield that was the first drive thru we opened. So my educated guess would be 1985. Although I didn’t work there till 1987. I think there’s a few of my peers on here who may be able to give you the exact date.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:15 pm**

Commy wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 8:57 pm
About McDonald's Princess Way Burnley.

Since 1974, McDonald's has been dedicated to serving quality food and quick service, at an affordable price for our customers. Visit McDonald's Princess Way Burnley and choose from a menu of favourites, including McCafé® coffee, tasty breakfasts, delicious burgers like our Quarter Pounder®* with Cheese, McPlant, and more!

I don't think they had The Plant Burger in 1974

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:25 pm**

no idea when it opened, but whenever it was, thousands of local slobs have made sure the littering would become industrial. its a magnet for **** nationwide.

Posted: **Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:42 pm**

I’m thinking 1984-ish

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:21 am**

BedlingtonTerrier wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:30 pm
I thought about 82-84 ish. I remember doing the birthday party thing too. They gave you a tour of the kitchens and one of the lucky party got to walk into the giant freezer. Seem to remember them 'jokingly' pretend to lock them in. Ahhh the good old days!

Wow, you’ve just unearthed a memory for me there. I remember my best friends birthday party at McDonald’s in the late 80’s - getting ‘locked in’ the walk-in fridge was best part of the day.

Can’t remember if it was in Burnley though… Probably would’ve been as our local Rising Bridge restaurant didn’t open until 1990’s.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:47 am**

Definitely before 84. I worked there in 86 and it was clearly well established and nobody spoke about it only being open for a few years. There were clearly quite a few people who'd been working there for a while. It was actually a great place to work as a teenager, it was almost Sean Dychesque in teaching me about team work, food hygene and defrosting forgotten partygoers.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:58 am**

dibraidio wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:47 am
Definitely before 84. I worked there in 86 and it was clearly well established and nobody spoke about it only being open for a few years. There were clearly quite a few people who'd been working there for a while. It was actually a great place to work as a teenager, it was almost Sean Dychesque in teaching me about team work, food hygene and defrosting forgotten partygoers.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:27 am**

1984.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:08 am**

It was certainly after 1980 when the building was Enzo's and the Wimpy was across the road.

: Screenshot 2022-11-23 at 10.06.41.png (601.15 KiB) Viewed 3256 times

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:13 am**

Fun fact

Ferry company I worked for shipped across all the McDonalds drive throughs to Ireland (prefabs on the back of trailers, I think from memory six lorry loads per restaurant)

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:22 am**

Not sure, but I do know that there are now more foodbanks in the UK than branches of McDonald's.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:35 am**

Claretitus wrote: ↑
Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:25 pm
Defo ‘82 or ‘83. 1974? Give your head a wobble.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ABCTV-gruen-abc- ... w1tw3TxZ4V

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:05 am**

Strangley enough I had my wedding reception there when it was Enzo's in 1979.
I remember when it was being converted to McDonalds in the early 1980s it had the big M with graffiti from it saying 'Meat means murder'.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:34 am**

mikeS wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:08 am
It was certainly after 1980 when the building was Enzo's and the Wimpy was across the road.
Screenshot 2022-11-23 at 10.06.41.png

How many of those shops are still there 42 years later? It’s a while since I’ve been in Burnley town centre, Electron Records? Althams?

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:23 pm**

I think the McDonald’s opened in/around 1983. No later than 1984.

Slightly off topic I know, but interesting regarding the building and one next door I suppose for some, I have added a couple of pics.

The first pic is 1959 and you can clearly see it’s before the top part was removed from what became the McDonald’s building.

The second picture is of the building when it was a Tesco. To date this image the Palace Hippodrome became a bingo club in 1962, and by the late 1960’s the bingo club had moved to the Empire theatre. The Hip wasn’t demolished until 1973 though.

Tesco underwent a renovation, re-opening in July 1970, and this looks to be after the renovation(?) so it’s probably very early 1970’s(?), though the bingo sign still remains on the Hip. Not sure how long Enzo’s was there but it was after Tesco.

I can’t believe we demolished buildings like that.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:04 pm**

Enzo’s was mentioned. Here is the building in the late-70’s when it was Enzo’s. The Keirby Hotel became Burnley Crest Motel in mid-1976 I believe. Possibly why this picture was taken?

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:27 pm**

Claretforever wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 12:23 pm
I think the McDonald’s opened in/around 1983. No later than 1984.

Slightly off topic I know, but interesting regarding the building and one next door I suppose for some, I have added a couple of pics.

The first pic is 1959 and you can clearly see it’s before the top part was removed from what became the McDonald’s building.

The second picture is of the building when it was a Tesco. To date this image the Palace Hippodrome became a bingo club in 1962, and by the late 1960’s the bingo club had moved to the Empire theatre. The Hip wasn’t demolished until 1973 though.

Tesco underwent a renovation, re-opening in July 1970, and this looks to be after the renovation(?) so it’s probably very early 1970’s(?), though the bingo sign still remains on the Hip. Not sure how long Enzo’s was there but it was after Tesco.

I can’t believe we demolished buildings like that.

I think the issue with buildings like this, is that whilst they are no doubt aesthetically pleasing from the outside, they simply don't work from an internal point of view for modern day purposes such as shops and offices. They were built in an era pre-electricity in many cases, and so can't handle modern services. In addition to this, they don't offer the flexibility of large open plan shops/commercial premises due to the contemporary construction limitations.

Cocker Sports (mentioned above) was a prime example of this, being located in an old Victorian building. It was like a treasure trove, but hardly accessible.

Notwithstanding this, the external architecture could definitely benefit from a bit more artistic flair, as many provincial town centres are becoming very identikit and losing their unique charms.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:31 pm**

i thought it was about 1985 but it could well have been earlier.

i remember wimpy's and having burger and chips on real plates with metal cutlery. seems mental nowadays.

ps. MikeS could you tell me where you got that plan from?

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:45 pm**

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:58 pm**

ChrisG wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:27 pm
I think the issue with buildings like this, is that whilst they are no doubt aesthetically pleasing from the outside, they simply don't work from an internal point of view for modern day purposes such as shops and offices. They were built in an era pre-electricity in many cases, and so can't handle modern services. In addition to this, they don't offer the flexibility of large open plan shops/commercial premises due to the contemporary construction limitations.

Cocker Sports (mentioned above) was a prime example of this, being located in an old Victorian building. It was like a treasure trove, but hardly accessible.

Notwithstanding this, the external architecture could definitely benefit from a bit more artistic flair, as many provincial town centres are becoming very identikit and losing their unique charms.

I agree with that. Although more expensive I imagine, it would have been nicer had they been able to keep the from of the building and rebuilt behind it.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:06 pm**

The 1980 shops map came from Burnley Library. It shows a town centre with all the shops occupied.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:50 pm**

mikeS wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 2:06 pm
The 1980 shops map came from Burnley Library. It shows a town centre with all the shops occupied.

cheers pal. i find that kind of stuff fascinating.

Posted: **Wed Nov 23, 2022 3:15 pm**

Claretforever wrote: ↑
Wed Nov 23, 2022 1:58 pm
I agree with that. Although more expensive I imagine, it would have been nicer had they been able to keep the from of the building and rebuilt behind it.

Retaining the facade would certainly have been a better option in hindsight. What we also need to bear in mind though is that much as many people look at 1960s buildings as brutalist monstrosities, folk in the 60s had a similar view on old soot covered Victorian buildings. The shiny white concrete would have looked very modern and clean in comparison to this, although due to a lack of maintenance and other issues many buildings of this era have not aged well.

I do think that overall Burnley does have a decent proportion of historic buildings for a town of its size.

We do however digress from the original subject, and to chuck my two-penneth in, I'm saying 1986.

When did McDonalds open in Burnley?

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