You might be thinking, “Why Woolwich and not Piccadilly Circus?” Great question. Turns out, McDonald’s wanted to test the water in a place that felt like real British life. They picked a high street that was busy, local, and—crucially—had a lot of hungry workers.
It was a strategic gamble. If the people of Woolwich embraced the Big Mac, the rest of the country would surely follow. Spoiler alert: they really embraced it. There was no turning back from the land of chips and curry sauce to… chips and ketchup.
The “British” Touch
Let’s not pretend McDonald’s didn’t adapt. They quickly learned that Brits love their tea and their distinctive sense of queuing. The first franchises had to work out how to serve a burger to someone who would politely stand in a line for six minutes without complaining.
Fun fact: They also introduced the McFlurry specifically to win over the British sweet tooth. It worked like a dream—and probably caused more than a few broken machines in 1995.
Inside Liverpool's first McDonald's with 35p chips and £1.30 Big Macs
