Changes at Carlisle city centre’s McDonald’s restaurant are set to transform its customers’ experiences, according to its franchisee.

Chris Nicholls, who is in charge of the outlet in Scotch Street, hopes these will lead to an increase in business as a result.

He also thinks the firm could create more than 100 jobs across Cumbria by the end of 2018.

Mr Nicholls said: “We are changing the whole customer experience and the way that we look after the customer.”

The changes will include the installation of self-order kiosks, table service and tablet computers to entertain children.

Mr Nicholls runs eight outlets throughout Cumbria through his company HBN Restaurants, which is based at Moorhouse, near Carlisle.

Four of these restaurants – in Penrith, Workington, Whitehaven and one of the two in Barrow – have been through the changes.

The outlet in Scotch Street though will be the first town/city centre restaurant in Cumbria to change, with work scheduled to start in December and be completed before the end of the year.

The ramp in the restaurant is also set to go. But Mr Nicholls insisted it will remain accessible for disabled people.

There will also be extra space for between 30 and 40 customers.

Mr Nicholls said: “Where we have done this it has gone down really well.

“We have seen a 10-15 per cent sales growth, people are embracing the changes that we are making and the feedback from them has been positive.”

Mr Nicholls said the previous system, where people placed orders at a counter before staff collected the food for them, could be extremely difficult for people who were in a restaurant with their children.

He also points out that the electronic kiosks will allow families to let the children take part in the ordering process and table service will mean they can be seated while their food is prepared.

He added: “This is a significant investment in Carlisle.”

Mr Nicholls also said that customers in other parts of Cumbria are responding well to a new addition to the McDonald’s menu.

Known as the Signature range, it features larger patties and different ingredients in an attempt to compete with gourmet burger restaurants, which have risen in popularity.

He said: “There has been huge growth in bespoke burger restaurants.

“They started in London and have moved north so one of the products we have introduced is the Signature range, which we are selling in Workington and Barrow.”

The Scotch Street branch has been trading since 1989 and was refurbished in 2007.

The firm employs 550 staff in Cumbria and Mr Nicholls estimates this will have risen to 700 across the business by the end of 2018.

He added that he was “always on the lookout” for new opportunities in Cumbria.