There are no plans to add a drive-thru to the new McDonald's coming to Wokingham, the fast-food giant has said.

The restaurant will open its first branch in Wokingham at Bridge Retail Park on Finchampstead Road, replacing the former Carpetright store.

McDonald's has now confirmed that there are ‘no plans’ to include a drive-thru lane for the new site after residents expressed concerns about traffic.

A number of people said they were concerned the site isn't suitable for a drive-thru and feared it would cause congestion and clog surrounding roads.

Bridge Retail Park is on a key route into Wokingham town centre, home to other stores including Pets at Home and Majestic Wines. There is also a Tesco supermarket and a petrol station close by.

It is also not yet known when the new McDonald's will be opening but it will be Wokingham's first franchise of the American megabrand.

News of its arrival in Wokingham has been unpopular with some locals - with many objecting to an advertising application to display a 4.5 metre tall ‘totem’ upon the entrance of the park.

This was subsequently removed form the plans, which were then approved by Wokingham Borough Council. Instead, a wall-mounted banner adjacent to the store will be displayed.

Many residents aired their grievances with the news of a McDonald's on the advertising application – but a large amount did not directly link to the advertisement plans.

One neighbour wrote that ‘disturbance, anti-social behaviour and impact to the road congestion are guaranteed if this plan goes ahead’.

Others simply objected to the principle of the fast-food chain setting up in Wokingham.

But others were more positive about the news, saying it would bring lots of jobs to the town, especially for young people.

McDonald's does not have a branch in Wokingham currently, but there is a Burger King situated close by to the new site. Burger fans have to travel to one of two Bracknell restaurants at either the Lexicon or Wildings Road for their fix or to the drive-thru at Chalfont Way in Earley.

Around the world, McDonald’s serves around four million customers a day. As of 2023, there were 1,436 outlets across the nation, many of which are franchises.

Typical annual sales of 80 per cent of McDonald's franchises are between £2million and £5.6million a year, according to the company's website. A franchisee can expect to a cash flow of between £125,000 to £400,000 in its first year.