Few places nationwide have been more aggressive in catering to late-night eaters than the Tampa Bay area, where the majority of McDonald’s restaurants are now open 24 hours a day.
More than 70 percent of the 186 restaurants in McDonald’s Tampa Bay Marketing Association co-op offer 24-hour drive-through or lobby service. That’s up from about 50 percent just two months ago and significantly higher than the national average, which stands at about 40 percent.
“Times are changing. More people are out and about late at night,” said Scott Tuell, operations manager for more than two dozen stores owned by the Caspers Co. “Look at information and technology. Everything is going 24 hours.”
McDonald’s estimates stores open all the time generate up to 10 percent more sales than stores that aren’t. For restaurants with both drive-through and sitdown service, it’s often a bit higher.