McDonald’s on Bedford High Street held a celebratory event on Friday, complete with a red carpet and live musicians to mark 35 years of the restaurant being open for business. Amongst the 80 guests in attendance were the MP of Bedford and Kempston Richard Fuller, Mayor of Bedford, Dave Hodgson and members of the Bedford Business Improvement District team. 

Ismail Anilmis, who began his career as a Crew Member at McDonald’s High Street when it first opened, now owns and runs the restaurant, alongside 9 other McDonald’s restaurants across four counties in the Central East.   

For the event, the restaurant was transformed into a formal dining room and staff provided full table service for guests throughout the evening. The menu on offer for the evening included McDonald’s premium range, The Signature Collection and the Chicken Legend.

Following a sit-down meal, some of the guests were given a full tour of the restaurant, including a behind-the-scenes look at the new state of the art kitchen facilities. Following a significant investment from Ismail, last year the restaurant underwent an exciting transformation, complete with a re-design and new features such as self-order kiosks and free-to-use tablets.

Franchisee Ismail Anilmis said: 

“We’re thrilled to be celebrating 35 years of business on Bedford’s High Street. Just last year, we demonstrated our commitment to the high street with the transformation of the restaurant and it was a pleasure to showcase the changes made at the event on Friday. We look forward to celebrating more years of serving the Bedford community in years to come.”