London's Leicester Square McDonald's set to go 24-hour
Early morning, late night nugs
There are already a few 24-hour McDonald’s restaurants in London, and it looks like the Leicetser Square branch is about to join them.
McDonald’s Leicester Square has been granted a license to operate 24 hours a day. And it’s actually less of an upgrade than you might guess, as at present the place is only closed between 2:45am and 5am each day.
While the license has been granted, it’s not yet clear when the restaurant will switch to a 24-hour model — there are no doubt some logistical and staffing hurdles to surmount before that happens.
The move to grant the license by Westminster Council was reportedly made despite warnings from the Westminster Police that the extension would “likely contribute to an increase in crime,” as the Caterer reported.
This McDonald’s is less than a 10-minute walk from the already-24-hour McDonald’s outlet on the Strand, though.
Other 24-hour destinations for the franchise include Liverpool Street Station, Kensington High Street, King’s Cross and St. Paul’s, among others.
Looking for something a little classier that stays open all night? You have a few options in the capital.
There’s Duck & Waffle in Bishopsgate, VQ Bloomsbury on Great Russell Street or — if you can make it to Old Street way — Beigel Bake offers bagels any hour of the day.
We’re not going to lie, we’d much rather frequent any of those, having experienced late-night McDonald’s antics first-hand.
McDonald’s central London locations are operated by Capital Arches Group, which since its first opening in 2016 has grown to run 38 locations across London and surrounding counties.
The Leicester Square branch is considered London’s flagship, and apparently largest, McDonald’s.
Not visited the golden arches in a while? McDonald’s is currently going through its hot honey moment, serving a Hot Honey McCrispy burger as well as a hot honey dip — intended to be served with its new mozzarella dippers. There’s even a hot honey mini McFlurry.
No idea why only mini ice creams are available with the honey sauce, but you can also pick up full-size Cornetto McFlurrys — classic and strawberry — for a limited period if you’re lucky enough to find a McDonald’s with a working ice cream machine.
