McDonald's recently opened its doors to a newly refurbished Valletta store in the heart of the capital. The beautifully designed outlet brings together a mix of modern elegance and historic surroundings.

The refurbishment is part of the food chain's global plan to update its restaurant environment within all its stores, making them more comfortable and more relevant to today's ever-changing needs.

The design concept applied in the Valletta store is called 'Lim edge' and aims to generate a convenient and comfortable ambience within this city restaurant. The muted pallet with bright highlights gives a modern twist and is designed to reflect a contemporary city lifestyle.

The almost 'retro' style chairs and walls give a playful feel while helping to create a relaxed and 'chilled' environment.

The design also focuses around the idea of 'families' to embrace and reflect the local culture. The restaurant is designed to capture today's city culture offering a number of amenities, including free and unlimited Wifi access, thus making it a great place to catch up with e-mails or meet with colleagues. Its relaxed yet contemporary surroundings also make it a great place to get together with friends and family or for a pit stop during a busy day of shopping in the city.

McDonald's Valletta was the first McDonald's restaurant in Malta, opening for the first time in 1995. Since then the company, franchised by the Hili family, has gone on to open a further eight restaurants on the island and also become the development licensee for McDonald's in three other European countries - Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania.

This refurbishment is part of the company's ongoing brand development plan. More developments are expected by the end of the year.