Has BA or HAL banned low-end restaurants from LHR?
May 30, 2018, 9:22 pm
#1
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Has BA or HAL banned low-end restaurants from LHR?
So, I was reading this article about how HKG wants more of it's restaurants to become 24hrs, to encourage more airlines to offer flights in the early hours. Currently only two of it's restaurants are 24/7, one being McDonald's.
This got me thinking, I have never seen a McDonald's in T5 or Heathrow for that matter. Nor a burger King, KFC or Subway for that matter. Yet every other major airport in the world has one, two or more of them. Most medium and even small airports in Europe have one of them. I remember being stuck in Lisbon T2 for 6 hours a few months after it opened during a French air traffic control strike, there was one small duty free shop and a McDonald's, which was the only positive thing on a rather suicidal evening.
So is there some kind of backstory to this? I mean Starbucks also serves liquid trash but they charge a very high price giving the illusion that you are paying for a quality product?
This got me thinking, I have never seen a McDonald's in T5 or Heathrow for that matter. Nor a burger King, KFC or Subway for that matter. Yet every other major airport in the world has one, two or more of them. Most medium and even small airports in Europe have one of them. I remember being stuck in Lisbon T2 for 6 hours a few months after it opened during a French air traffic control strike, there was one small duty free shop and a McDonald's, which was the only positive thing on a rather suicidal evening.
So is there some kind of backstory to this? I mean Starbucks also serves liquid trash but they charge a very high price giving the illusion that you are paying for a quality product?
May 30, 2018, 9:35 pm
#3
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Actually now you mention it, the Mcdonald's that used to be in Gatwick South is gone. Nothing in GLA or EDI too. I think NCL still has it's burger king last time I checked.
May 30, 2018, 10:15 pm
#5
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Given the revenue HAL requires tenants to pay them in terms of rent and % of turnover (not profit) very few retailers and food outkets can afford to be in LHR.
and yes there is a ban on a lot of types of cooking equipment so no deep fat fryers for example (and I think open gas flames too) also limits who can practically trade there too.
so no flame grilled whopper for you!
and yes there is a ban on a lot of types of cooking equipment so no deep fat fryers for example (and I think open gas flames too) also limits who can practically trade there too.
so no flame grilled whopper for you!
May 30, 2018, 10:34 pm
#6
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Greggs got "failed to negotiate a move" at GLA
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...greggs-1053918
I am sure there was a McDonalds iat LHR T1 at some time prior to T5 opening
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...greggs-1053918
I am sure there was a McDonalds iat LHR T1 at some time prior to T5 opening
May 30, 2018, 10:43 pm
#7
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Greggs got "failed to negotiate a move" at GLA
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...greggs-1053918
I am sure there was a McDonalds iat LHR T1 at some time prior to T5 opening
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...greggs-1053918
I am sure there was a McDonalds iat LHR T1 at some time prior to T5 opening
May 30, 2018, 10:44 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
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The reason is probably more down to the rents being so extortionate that the low margins of McDonald's are not compatible. As a different data point: The number of McDonald's in central London has also come down.
May 30, 2018, 10:58 pm
#9
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It was at T1 back in 1997 that there was a fire in a Burger King.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.i...371.html%3famp
And for the record, there is s Greggs at both NCL and MAN (T1) both of which are landside.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.i...371.html%3famp
And for the record, there is s Greggs at both NCL and MAN (T1) both of which are landside.
May 30, 2018, 11:40 pm
#10
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I'm not an expert on McDonalds by any means but I just find it weird that all the airport ones have disappeared in the UK but are thriving outside the UK.
Last edited by Calum; May 30, 2018 at 11:51 pm
May 31, 2018, 1:06 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2017
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Can't imagine a ban on open gas flames would work in many countries. That would mean no stir-frying for a start!
May 31, 2018, 3:32 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2015
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I suspect that it is a combination of LHR being expensive for tenants and LHR being split across 4 terminals, which reduces the number of potential customers (unless you open 4 stores). There is a Burger King at Stansted. There are several other fast food chains at STN (Itsu, Leon, Costa, Starbucks, Wetherspoon, Giraffe, Coast to Coast, etc.)
May 31, 2018, 1:35 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,771
After a brief hiatus, Burger King will be reopening at Luton landside soon.