Inside Australia’s busiest McDonald’s where almost 3,000 customers are served every day
Australia’s busiest McDonald’s restaurant has been revealed, and it’s surprisingly far from the country’s major cities.
Despite the millions of people living in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the fast-food chain’s highest-selling restaurant is actually in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory.
The regional store has held the top spot for sales in Australia for more than two years and recently broke the company’s national monthly sales record.
It serves more than 18,500 customers every week, with breakfast and dinner the busiest periods.
In July alone, more than 85,000 people were served at the restaurant – an average of roughly 2,740 customers a day.
The figures are particularly surprising given Alice Springs has a population of around 34,000 people, a fraction of the millions living in Australia’s capital cities.
But the town is also a major hub for Central Australia, attracting visitors from surrounding communities, as well as tourists travelling through the Northern Territory.
And unlike larger cities, where customers can choose between countless fast-food outlets, Alice Springs has a much smaller selection of familiar chains.
Despite the millions of people living in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the fast-food chain’s highest-selling restaurant is actually in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory
In July alone, more than 85,000 people were served at the restaurant – an average of roughly 2,740 customers a day
The restaurant’s popularity means an unusually large workforce is needed to keep up with orders.
It employs 241 people, with as many as 35 staff working on the floor at once during peak periods.
The business is operated by licensees who relocated from Western Australia to Alice Springs to take over the restaurant.
It has since become a significant local employer and supports more than 40 community clubs and organisations.
The figures also offer an interesting insight into Australia’s fast-food habits.
While metropolitan restaurants benefit from large populations and heavy foot traffic, regional outlets draw customers from much further afield, particularly in areas where dining options are limited.
Alice Springs serves a vast stretch of Central Australia, with people travelling considerable distances to access shops, services and restaurants.
The town is also a stopping point for tourists exploring the Red Centre, including those travelling to Uluru and other Northern Territory attractions.
McDonald’s is one of the few nationally recognisable fast-food options in the area, which may help explain why its customer numbers are so high relative to the local population.
This gives Alice Springs an unexpected distinction: it’s rarely the first place that comes to mind when Australians think of the country’s busiest restaurants.
And while a McDonald’s in central Sydney or Melbourne might seem like the obvious winner, it’s a regional outlet thousands of kilometres away that has been outselling them for years.
