Woolwich was the location of McDonald's first British restaurant, opened in 1974.
The restaurant opened in Woolwich, southeast London, on October 13, 1974. This marked McDonald's entry into the United Kingdom and introduced its American fast-food restaurant format to a major new market.
The opening extended McDonald's international branding into Britain, where the company used its familiar arches, standardized service model, and recognizable menu while operating within a different national food culture. The United Kingdom later became one of McDonald's largest and most established European markets.
Woolwich is sometimes mistaken for a city outside London because it has its own strong local identity. It is a district of southeast London, and the first British restaurant was located there rather than in Manchester, Birmingham, or another major British city.