New restaurant features never-before-seen novelties in Portugal
American fast-food giant McDonald’s has opened a restaurant in Parchal (Lagoa), bringing its total number of outlets in Portugal to 202.
The new restaurant is located on Rua Infante Dom Henrique, just a stone’s throw away from the new Continente supermarket, featuring several novelties which are being unveiled for the first time in Portugal and the Algarve.
Customers can enjoy their meals at a new “lounge-style outdoor seating area”, a first for the chain in the country. It is also the first McDonald’s in the Algarve to feature a double-lane McDrive, given its location on a busy road linking the boroughs of Portimão and Lagoa.
The restaurant also has its own McCafé for everything from breakfasts to coffees, and the McDelivery service, partnering with Uber Eats and Glovo.
McDonald’s Parchal is also hoping to become a venue for children’s birthday parties, boasting a “state-of-the-art playplace,” franchise owner Joaquim Fonseca explained.
Other amenities include automated payment kiosks that allow customers to place and pay for their orders on their own, as well as a digital menu board, USB outlets, and wireless chargers.
The new restaurant represents a €1.5 million investment and created 70 new jobs, attracting significant interest.
“Students responded in large numbers, and we received great support from both the Employment Centre of the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP) in Portimão and the Parish Council of Estômbar and Parchal, which even provided us with a space to provide training,” said Joaquim Fonseca, adding that McDonald’s was able to carry out an “excellent” recruitment campaign.
The new restaurant has hired 70 full- and part-time employees, both from the municipalities of Lagoa and neighbouring Portimão.
“We focus not only on internal training but also on career progression within the organisation. There are specific courses, all certified by the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). In other words, we invest in our own talent. We aim to build our management teams by recruiting externally for people who already have degrees or other relevant training to help with operations,” said the franchise manager, who also runs the McDonald’s outlets in Albufeira and Guia.
He gave the example of Jorge Ferraz, a former director of McDonald’s Portugal, who built his career and moved to the United States to manage a major operation in Washington.
“Even for young people starting their professional careers, they have the opportunity to acquire skills here that will be useful in hospitality or any other field they may work in throughout their lives,” said Joaquim Fonseca.
McDonald’s outlets are always “very busy”, he said, “especially at the peak of summer. In Albufeira, the two restaurants serve over 2,500 per day on average. The average for the rest of the year is around 1,000 to 1,200 people.” The Parchal restaurant, however, is more geared towards younger customers and families.
The investment in the new outlet was shared by the franchise owner and the brand, the latter of which owns the building.
“We have a long-term use contract, around 20 years. However, the goal is not rapid amortisation. It’s something long-term. Despite being leaders in terms of units, the brand felt we should be closer to populated areas, as is the case with Parchal,” Fonseca explained.
The franchise owner also provided a response to those who criticise fast-food outlets. “What I can say about that is that most of our suppliers, from fresh produce to meat, are Portuguese. The meat is certified, and we can trace its origin. We are pioneers in implementing the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) food safety system. In fact, many hotel units have come to learn from us. We have also introduced soups, salads, and sliced fruit to the menu. Therefore, it is possible to have a healthier meal tailored to the needs of our customers,” he said.
Joaquim Fonseca also highlighted the brand’s commitment to energy transition by investing in photovoltaic panels for renewable energy production, installed on the restaurant’s roof and parking lot. Additionally, McDonald’s has introduced new recycling bins that “ensure the separation of mixed waste, organic waste, plastic/metal, paper, and liquids, facilitating their proper disposal.”
McDonald’s Parchal is open every day from 8am to 2am.
