STRETFORD has been given a retail shot in the arm with the opening of a new drive-through fast food outlet.

The new two storey Chester Road, McDonald's restaurant, is set to provide 90 new jobs in the local area.

The restaurant hosted a preview evening for friends and family of the new staff the night before its opening on Wednesday, and were joined by the Mayor of Trafford, Cllr Ejaz Malik and local Stretford ward councillors.

The vice-chairman of the Stretford Town Centre Partnership, Cllr Dolores O’Sullivan, said “The restaurant is warmly welcomed by the local community and it's timely opening will give families the opportunity to enjoy the Christmas celebrations at a local and well-loved establishment.

"I would like to wish McDonald's every success in its new venture. The opening in Stretford is another step in the development of the ambitious plans for the future of Stretford and surrounding area, and I am pleased it will bring new investment and much needed employment to our area”.

The new two-floor restaurant is one of McDonald’s new state-of-the-art restaurant styles – and will offer digital menu boards and five Samsung tablets on the restaurant tables.

It will be one of the first McDonald’s in the area to offer customers the option to either use the traditional till services or new self-order kiosks when placing their order.

The restaurant includes seating for over 150 people and free WiFi for customers looking for added value from their eating out experiences.

Restaurant manager, Mianna Dodd said: “We are very excited to open our the new restaurant here in Stretford and look forward welcoming members of the local community into our interactive new restaurant.

“We’re keen to ensure steady investment in the Stretford area and are pleased to be able to provide a significant number of new jobs. Investing in the development of our staff is also important – we want to ensure they have a good learning ladder of opportunities to benefit their career and help us deliver consistently high levels of customer service.”

The Drum Pub, which had stood empty for a number of years on the site was demolished in the autumn.