McDonald's plans to invest 1 billion pounds (approximately 1.30 billion US dollars) in the UK and Ireland over the next four years. This amount will be used for opening over 200 new restaurants and creating more than 24,000 jobs.

The company, which opened its first restaurant in 1974 on Woolwich High Street in London, announced on Wednesday that the new branches are part of an extensive investment program aimed at meeting the changing customer demands.

A special focus is on revitalizing city center locations to better meet the changing expectations of consumers. Additionally, McDonald's plans to modernize more than 1,500 existing restaurants in the UK and Ireland and to test new restaurant formats.

We are proud of what we have achieved over the past 50 years and remain committed to investing in new opportunities and supporting growth in the UK," said Alistair Macrow, CEO of McDonald’s UK and Ireland.