FAST-FOOD giant McDonald's finally opened the doors to its new restaurant in Hexham this week.

The restaurant and drive-thru, which is at the new Hexham Gate Retail Park off Alemouth Road, has created 65 jobs for the local area.

People flocked to the burger chain after it opened on Tuesday lunchtime (May 31), with queues for the drive-thru building up in the evening.

Joanne Knowles, who visited the new restaurant on Tuesday night, said she was pleased to see the restaurant open and bring jobs to the town.

Hexham resident Simon Davison agreed. "I think it's a good thing," he said. "It's been needed for a while."

He added: "I think it's going to work well with the Travelodge next door."

Hexham Courant:

Hexham Gate Retail Park is already home to a Lidl store, which opened at the end of March.

A 69-bedroom Travelodge hotel and 250-space car park will also be joining them at the site of Hexham's former nuclear bunker this summer.

Local franchisee Nigel Mushens, who owns and operates the new branch, said: "We are delighted to be opening another brand-new McDonald’s restaurant in Hexham and can’t wait to see local customers, both new and old, enjoy our services on offer.

"People are at the heart of our business, and we look forward to welcoming new employees with the jobs and career development opportunities our restaurant will create.

"We’re committed to investing in opportunities for a mix of all ages, life stages and backgrounds, promoting flexibility and equality."

The new restaurant boasts the latest innovations from McDonald’s such as self-service kiosks and digital Drive-Thru menu boards.

The My McDonald’s App is also available to use at the restaurant, allowing customers to order and pay contact-free for their meal ahead of time, as well as providing access to exclusive offers.

Customers can choose Drive-Thru, pick-up at the counter or park up for a delivery to their car with the Click & Serve feature.

The branch will be open from 6am until midnight.