Did you know that a new McDonald’s branch opens approximately every 1.5 hours? Orr that more people eat at the international fast-food chain than the entire UK population every day? Or that it started as a hot dog stand in the 1930s and became a barbeque restaurant?
While these facts may be as interesting as they are surprising, it shows just how much the international chain has gained acclaim worldwide and how much people love the food. However, with this love, comes questions and one of the most common ones is,” What are McDonald’s lunch hours?
In this article, we focus on this question, offering a comprehensive guide on what you can expect to find at McDonald’s at whichever time of the day. Read on for more.
When Does McDonald’s Start Serving Lunch?
If you wonder when McDonald’s start serving lunch, the short answer is that McDonald’s lunch hours begin at 10.30 am on weekdays and begin at 11.00 on Saturdays and Sundays. This means that you can buy fries, nuggets, and sandwiches that are not on the breakfast meals menu only after 10.30. During this time, you can order happy meals too. These timings are crucial for anyone who wants to spend their lunch hours at McDonald’s alone or with family and friends.
Hopefully, in the future, there will be a big demand that can push this international food chain to offer lunch dishes before 10.30. But that may take some time because even today, lunch is served slightly later during the weekends. After all, there is a higher influx of breakfast takers and a little past 10.30 am.
But why does McDonald’s not offer the lunch menu before 10.30?
We believe that McDonald’s would not be practical to serve lunch items right from the early morning hours due to logistic reasons. For starters, it is highly unlikely that each branch would have enough equipment and space to keep both the breakfast and lunchtime menu running all day.
Furthermore, as it is, McDonald’s joints are already serving high numbers every day, and even serving a full menu all day is likely to make the numbers spike even higher. These higher numbers would mean that customers will wait for longer times and long lines during McDonald’s lunch hours.
However, an all-day lunch menu could be an eventuality if McDonald’s can find a way to serve these dishes without losing out on customer experience.
What Else Should You Know About McDonald’s Lunch Hours in 2021?
McDonald’s remains one of the best places where you can get early lunch. However, as a franchise business, they follow a business model that allows each restaurant to retain some freedom on breakfast and lunch hours. Therefore, you may find the local opening hours of McDonald’s may differ slightly. However, the lunch menu remains diverse and interesting.
McDonald’s Breakfast Menu
Another crucial question associated with McDonald’s revolves around the breakfast menu. If you need to know when McDonald’s serve breakfast, then you should read on.
McDonald’s start serving breakfast at 5.00 am. However, times may vary depending on where you are. The same goes for the time McDonald’s stop serving breakfast. These variations are because McDonald’s is franchised, which gives them some liberty over their time. Every franchisee can determine the time they start to serve breakfast according to the nature of their business. However, many branches start their breakfast service as early as 5 o’clock.
On the other hand, they stop serving breakfast at 10.30 during the weekdays and at 10.45 am to 11.00 am on the weekends. Therefore, the time most franchisees stop may depend a lot on the number of people who came in for breakfast, especially over the weekend because they experience an influx of breakfast customers at this time.
As you read on, remember that you can have an all-day breakfast at McDonald’s. However, as the day progresses, you may begin to notice that you have a limited breakfast menu. Some of the items you may fancy may be available on the breakfast menu only between 5 am, and 10.30 am.
Some of the common breakfast menu items you can get after the morning breakfast hours include burritos, muffins, hotcakes, and hash browns. You can expect to find these items and sometimes more at your local McDonald’s store.
While most franchisees start preparing their breakfast menu at 5.00 am, most begin to serve at 7 am. The restaurants will then start serving lunch from 10.30 am to 11.00 am, depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.
If you wonder about McDonald’s 24-hour restaurants and when they serve breakfast or lunch, then it would be good to know that the 24-hour McDonald’s start serving breakfast earlier at 6 am. Some of them start their breakfast service as early as 4 am
Some of the favorites that people order in McDonald’s restaurants include Egg McMuffins, Big Mac and Fries, and hash browns.
Related: Check out McDonald’s Catering menu and options too.
How to Know the Opening and Closing Times of McDonald’s Near You
While the information we have provided here about McDonald’s may be accurate, you may want a more localized answer. Thankfully, you do not have to wake up early and show up consistently to McDonald’s for many days to find out when your local McDonald’s opens. Instead, the food chain has made it easier for customers to know when their local branch opens by using their Restaurant Locator. By knowing this information about the branches near you, you can pop in when you need a meal and be sure that you will get it.
What Foods Are Served at Different Times of the Day?
If you have visited McDonald’s, you probably know that some of the most popular menu items include Happy Meals and the Big Mac.
In the morning, they serve breakfast. Later in the day, they continue serving the regular menu, including grilled chicken salad, burgers, chicken nuggets, and the special Happy Meal for kids.
They serve these meals and more until the end of the day. The lunch menu alone has over 150 items that you can enjoy.
Interesting Facts About McDonald’s Restaurants and The Foods
Now that you understand everything about McDonald’s restaurants and the service times, you can enjoy some interesting facts below.
A Short History
McDonald’s was founded by Maurice and Richard McDonald in 1940. However, its history goes back further as it was initially a hotdog stand turned barbeque stand. The chain has approximately 69 million customers worldwide and is the largest restaurant chain worldwide with over 38000 outlets. Some of the most well-known menu items include hamburgers, french fries, and cheeseburgers.
They also offer milkshakes, desserts, chicken products, warps, and breakfast items.
If you are a health freak, you would be happy to know that McDonald’s has some healthy items on its menu. These include fruits, salads, and smoothies. These healthy options were added to the menu after the chain received backlash for promoting the intake of unhealthy fast foods. As a result, you can always get something for everyone at McDonald’s.
McDonald’s Coke
Customers who have enjoyed Coca-cola at McDonald’s have reported that the coke served here tastes different. Is there some truth to this claim?
There is. The coke syrup at McDonald’s is brought in stainless steel tanks, which helps preserve its freshness. In most places, it is transported in plastic bags.
McDonald’s Menu
Internationally, the McDonald’s chain looks fairly uniform (a few exceptions, of course), with the golden yellow arch as its signature. As a result, most people assume that their menus are the same. This could not be further from the truth. McDonald’s menu may have more variety in some countries as a reflection of the local tastes. For example, in Germany, buns are served with three bratwursts, while in Italy, they are served with deep-fried star-shaped cheese pieces. In the Philippines, pasta is served with chicken McNuggets, while McRice burger is served with rice patties in Singapore. Therefore, you can find variety in different McDonald’s restaurants worldwide.
McDonald’s Sandwiches
McDonald’s sandwiches are prepared in large batches and stored in the egg ring. They are stored for a while, and they do not lose their freshness, which makes them fresh. So next time, as you devour that fresh sandwich, remember to thank the egg ring for it.
Drive-Throughs at McDonald’s are For Motorized Vehicles Only
McDonald’s has made safety a priority. This is why they only serve meals to people in motorized vehicles. They do not serve bicycles, electric scooters, and pedestrians.
FAQs
What time does McDonald’s start serving breakfast?
Although this can vary by location, 7am is the typical time McDonalds start serving breakfast.
Why do breakfast service times differ from chain to chain?
Since they’re a franchised based business it is up to the individual owners to set the service times.
Conclusion
McDonald’s is one of the world’s top restaurant chains with over 38000 outlets worldwide. The restaurants serve both breakfast and lunchtime menus. The breakfast service may begin as early as 5 am, and the lunchtime menu begins to be served at 10.30 am on weekdays and at 11.00 am on weekends. This slight variation is a result of the influx of breakfast customers over the weekend. You can enjoy various items on the menu throughout the day, and if you live in an area with a 24-hour restaurant, you can get some food even at the oddest hours. For health enthusiasts, you can enjoy fruits, smoothies, and salads at McDonald’s.
