When Does McDonald‘s Serve Lunch in 2024? The Complete Guide
McDonald‘s serves millions of customers globally every day. With so many craving Big Macs and McNuggets for lunch, one of the most common questions is: when does McDonald’s start serving lunch?
As a fast food retail expert, I‘ve done extensive research into McDonald‘s lunch hours. Here‘s a detailed guide to exactly when you can order lunch at McDonald‘s in 2024 based on days, locations, delivery, and more.
Key Facts About McDonald‘s Lunch Hours
Before diving into the details, here are some key facts about McDonald‘s lunch service:
- Weekday lunch start: 10:30am
- Weekend lunch start: 11:00am
- Lunch served all day after start time
- Breakfast ends 30 mins before lunch starts
- Grills not used for breakfast cooking
- Holidays closed: Christmas, Easter only
Now let‘s explore when you can enjoy a Big Mac or McNuggets for lunch at McDonald‘s.
McDonald‘s Weekday Lunch Hours
Across over 14,000 McDonald‘s locations in the US, the standard weekday lunch start time is 10:30am.
According to McDonald‘s corporate policy, franchise owners can choose when to start serving lunch. However, the vast majority opt for 10:30am on Monday through Friday.
This allows McDonald‘s to capture both late breakfast and early lunch customers. By 10:30am, breakfast demand drops while lunch demand picks up.
Once 10:30am hits, grills are turned on and lunch is served all day until closing time (or the next day‘s breakfast at 24hr locations).
McDonald‘s Weekend Lunch Hours
On Saturdays and Sundays, McDonald‘s locations delay their lunch service start time by 30 minutes compared to weekdays.
The standard weekend lunch start time is 11:00am across most McDonald‘s restaurants.
This accommodates higher weekend breakfast demand, keeping breakfast on the menu for an extra half hour before transitioning to lunch.
| Day | Lunch Start Time |
|---|---|
| Monday-Friday | 10:30am |
| Saturday-Sunday | 11:00am |
So if you‘re craving a McDonald‘s lunch on Saturday or Sunday, expect service to begin at 11:00am.
All Day McDonald‘s Lunch Hours
Once the lunch menu is available, McDonald‘s serves lunch items all day until closing time.
For example, if lunch starts at 10:30am on a weekday, you can order burgers, McNuggets, fries, salads, wraps, and other lunch entrees all afternoon and evening until that McDonald‘s location closes for the night.
The only exception is overnight at 24/7 McDonald‘s locations. They pause lunch service around 4:30-5:00am to prepare for the breakfast menu.
Ordering McDonald‘s Lunch for Breakfast
Many customers wonder – can you order McDonald‘s lunch menu during breakfast hours? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
McDonald‘s does not allow lunch items to be ordered before 10:30am on weekdays and 11:00am on weekends. This is because grills are not turned on until the official lunch start time.
Breakfast items are cooked differently than lunch. So if you show up at 9:30am wanting a Big Mac, you‘ll have to wait until 10:30am (or 11:00am on weekends) to order it.
Getting McDonald‘s Lunch Delivery
Popular delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub offer McDonald‘s for delivery. But you still need to follow the standard McDonald‘s lunch hours when ordering.
For weekday lunch delivery, you‘ll need to place your McDonald‘s order after 10:30am. On weekends, hold off until after 11:00am for lunch delivery.
McDonald‘s does not make exceptions for delivery services – lunch can only be ordered after regular lunch hours, even if you want it delivered.
McDonald‘s Holiday Lunch Hours
McDonald‘s remains open every day of the year except Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. On other major holidays like Thanksgiving, New Year‘s Day, and Labor Day, regular lunch hours apply.
However, holiday hours may be reduced compared to normal operation. It‘s best to check with your local McDonald‘s for exact holiday lunch serving times.
According to McDonald‘s, over 1500 locations are even open on Christmas Eve and New Year‘s Eve. So you can get your McDonald‘s lunch fix then if needed.
Using McDonald‘s Coupons for Lunch
McDonald‘s accepts printed and digital coupons that you can apply to your lunch order for savings. Common discounts include:
- $1 off any Extra Value Meal
- BOGO free sandwiches
- Free medium fry with purchase
- Free 6-piece McNuggets
You can often find McDonald‘s coupons on their app, website, or available for print online. Typically only 1 coupon is allowed per customer per visit.
International McDonald‘s Lunch Hours
With over 36,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, McDonald‘s has a huge global presence. Do international McDonald‘s locations have different lunch hours?
While hours can vary slightly by country, the vast majority stick to the standard 10:30am weekday and 11:00am weekend lunch start times.
For example, McDonald‘s lunch service begins at 10:30am in countries like Canada, the UK, Australia, France, and Germany during the week.
Some exceptions include Brazil (10:00am) and India (11:00am daily). Check with your local McDonald‘s as hours may differ.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully this guide has shed light on when you can order lunch at McDonald‘s. To summarize:
- Weekday lunch starts at 10:30am
- Weekend lunch starts at 11:00am
- Lunch is served all day after start times
- Delivery follows same lunch hours
- Closed only Christmas and Easter
Knowing McDonald‘s standard lunch serving times will help you get your Big Mac and fries fix. Just be sure to wait until after 10:30am or 11:00am depending on the day!
