American fast food chain McDonald’s wants to expand in Germany in the coming years, the CFO of McDonald’s Germany said in comments published by the Funke Media Group on Saturday.
“We have confidence in Germany as a business location and will continue to grow strongly here,” says Christoph Gehrig.
The multinational company plans to open 25 new locations this year, each with 50 employees. This number is expected to increase to 75 new locations each year for the next three years, creating more than 10,000 jobs by 2027.
In the medium term, 500 new German branches are to be opened, many of them in locations with heavy through-traffic, such as along motorways and at train stations.
“We are focused on expanding drive-ins, because Germany is still a car country and I don’t think that will change in the short term,” Gehrig said.
Electric charging stations have been installed at 600 of McDonald’s 1,050 drive-in locations.
To find the needed new staff, Gehrig advocated “reducing bureaucratic hurdles” when it comes to employing refugees.
McDonald’s currently employs more than 65,000 people across more than 1,400 locations in Germany.
