McDonald’s Ireland is celebrating the milestone 30th birthday of Waterford City’s Cork Road restaurant.
Franchisee Joe Byrne and the team at McDonald’s Waterford marked the 30th anniversary of its Cork Road restaurant opening on 28th March 1994.
Opening with just 70 members of staff, McDonald’s now employees over 200 local people across its two Waterford City restaurants, with full-time and part-time positions ranging from crew member to managerial posts.
The restaurant is proud to have many long serving Crew members with the longest serving of the team being Siobhan Sanderson and Liz Cummins, with 30 years’ service each. Siobhan worked her way up through the restaurant’s ranks to the General Manager position in 2021.
Business Manager Helena Power and First Assistant Manager Louise Power mark 28 years’ service at the restaurant with Crew members Margaret Keating, Mary Murphy, Alice Hennessy, Kevin Brophy and Mary Shanaghan reaching this milestone also.
McDonald’s is also delighted to have Crew members Alice Hennessy and Keith Sweeney marking 15 years and Louise Carew marking 10 years at the restaurant.
During the past 30 years, the restaurant has had a number of major upgrades, including several re-images, the development of its dual-lane drive-thru as well as introducing digital kiosks, table ordering and McDelivery.
Staff Members with Joe Byrne. Photo: John Power
McDonald’s Franchisee Joe Byrne commented: “We are thrilled to be marking our 30th birthday milestone birthday here in Waterford. We have continually invested in upgrading and improving the restaurant, with four major upgrades over the past 30 years. New technology and innovations have been introduced through McDonald’s programmes such as ‘Experience of the Future’ and ‘Convenience of the Future’ – all aimed at enhancing our customer journey and crew experience.
“In parallel with these ongoing changes, though, much has remained constant – not least our loyal customer base, made up of both local stalwarts and commuters who have visited the restaurant often several times a week for the past 30 years and have very much become part of ‘the McFamily’ here at Waterford.
“Our focus on serving excellent, high-quality food made from locally sourced produce also remains a constant, thanks to longstanding relationships with superb supply chain partners such as Kerry Group, Moy Park, Dawn Meats, Flahavan’s and Dew Valley Foods.”
The Waterford team’s commitment to serving the local community and the wider area has remained an “overarching focus” for the restaurant since 1994, according to Joe Byrne.
“We take huge pride in the longstanding relationships we have forged and nurtured with local schools, community groups and grassroots sports organisations such as the Wildcats Basketball Team, Waterford FC and Waterford GAA to name a few. We are proud to support and encourage them across the year, celebrating their achievements and all that they do to impact so positively on the lives of children and adults in the local area.”
Paying tribute to the staff at the restaurant, Joe Byrne continued: “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to every member of our outstanding team at the Cork Road restaurant, led by Business Manager Helena Power and General Manager Siobhan Sanderson.
“They are a cohesive, energetic, and enthusiastic team who, every day, give of their very best and go the extra mile to give our customers the best possible experience. Any success enjoyed by McDonald’s Waterford over the past 30 years is due entirely to them.”
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.
