When does McDonald’s serve lunch? (What to know!)
Since its founding more than 70 years ago, McDonald’s has focused on customer experience and quality fast food. As a result, they have grown into one of the largest retail chains in the world.
The company’s success also benefits from its shrewd business model. Instead of extracting revenue from low profit margins like the food industry, they built a franchise-based model. By owning the land and charging franchisees a recurring fee, they can rapidly build wealth and rapidly expand their market reach.
Therefore, each store is independent and sets its own lunch and breakfast service times. So when exactly does McDonald’s serve lunch, and until when?
What time does McDonald’s serve lunch?
Most McDonald’s offer lunch menus from 10:30am Monday through Friday and 11am on weekends. McDonald’s also has separate lunch hours, which will be noted on promotional materials. Also, each franchise owner decides their own lunch hours, so some stores may start serving lunch earlier than others.
To verify the hours of operation for a specific McDonald’s store, go to the store locator page on their website or mobile app.
Why does McDonald’s offer lunch late on the weekend?
McDonald’s serves lunch late on weekends because their breakfast menu is in higher demand compared to other days of the week. Again, lunchtime is ultimately at the discretion of the franchise owner.
When will McDonald’s stop serving lunch
McDonald’s serves lunch all day until it closes, which varies from store to store. For 24 hour locations, lunchtime ends at 5am – when they start serving breakfast.
You should also note that drive-through hours may differ from restaurant hours. Some close later, while others are open 24 hours. To be sure, before ordering a late-night snack, check the restaurant locator for opening hours for a specific location.
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Does McDonald’s serve lunch all day 24 hours?
No, all 24 hour McDonald’s stop serving lunch at 5am or when the breakfast menu is ready. Hours may vary slightly by franchise owner, but most McDonald’s only serve lunch until 5am.
What’s the difference between McDonald’s breakfast and lunch menus?
McDonald’s breakfast menu includes popular McMuffins, Big Breakfast and hot cakes. The fast food giant used to sell breakfast menus all day but stopped in 2020, much to the dismay of many customers. Right now, you can only get McMuffins in stores until 10.30am or 11am, depending on which branch you’re dining in.
After 11 am, you will enjoy the lunch menu. McDonald’s lunch menu is more familiar – cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, Happy Meals, and more. Unlike its breakfast counterparts, lunch is served until the store closes, or until 5am if it’s open 24 hours.
Why do breakfast service hours vary by restaurant?
Due to its franchise model, McDonald’s breakfast service hours and hours vary from restaurant to restaurant. McDonald’s doesn’t actually own the McDonald’s stores you see – they own the land and lease the sales rights to franchisees.
Each franchisee is free to decide their hours of operation as long as they adhere to McDonald’s strict franchise requirements. However, these requirements do not include hours of operation and breakfast service, meaning franchisees can provide lunch at any time.
That’s why different McDonald’s locations have different hours of operation and breakfast service. But they are usually fully serviced at the same time, to fit the brand and for obvious economic reasons.
How about McDonald’s breakfast and lunch deals?
Golden Arches offers everything from a Christmas Mariah Carey meal to a $6 mix and match. These deals also have set hours, but they don’t follow McDonald’s set service and hours of operation. Instead, McDonald’s determines the service time for every transaction you can view on their app.
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in conclusion…
McDonald’s has split breakfast and lunch service hours to improve its operational efficiency and profitability. Lunch starts at 11am at most locations and ends when the store closes, or until 5am in the case of 24-hour locations.
Additionally, each franchisee has autonomy over its hours of operation and menu times, resulting in slightly different hours for each branch. To be sure, customers can use the store locator on the official website or app to determine the opening hours of each store.
