Edinburgh McDonald’s franchise serves up new jobs with HSBC support

An Edinburgh franchise has renovated and doubled the capacity of its McDonald’s restaurant on Gorgie Road after securing a six-figure funding package from HSBC.

Stellar Restaurants, which has been owned and managed by Graham Angus since 2016, has used the HSBC funding to make a series of improvements to the site, which has been operating as a McDonald’s restaurant for 22 years.

This includes doubling the size of the dining area and installing a state-of-the-art digital framework, which consists of digital ordering boards and customer operated self-service kiosks. These changes are designed to encourage customers to browse menus, consider nutritional information and customise their orders accordingly.

The funding from HSBC has helped create more than 20 new full-time and part-time jobs for the local economy in the last six months.

Stellar Restaurants Director, Graham Angus, said: “The expertise and support I’ve received from HSBC has allowed me to purchase and renovate the premises at Gorgie Road, as well as install the very latest in customer service technology. The improvements have supported the dramatic growth of productivity, allowing us to process over 1,500 orders on an average day. The expansion has led to the creation of over 20 new jobs as well as allowing us to future-proof the restaurant.”

Susan Rowand, HSBC’s head of business banking in Scotland, added: “It is pleasing to be able to play a role in supporting the growth Stellar Restaurants has enjoyed in such a short period of time. From introducing the very latest technology in the Gorgie Road restaurant, through to the creation of over 20 new jobs, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the company.”

The finance was allocated from HSBC’s national £10 billion SME fund to actively support UK SMEs. £500 million is specifically designated to support Scottish firms and rebalance the economy outside of London.