McDONALD’S Australia has received planning approval to build a second store in Mount Gambier, which will boast a “flagship” decor design for the fast food giant.
The multi-million-dollar project was given the green light by Mount Gambier City Council planning development assessors late last week.
The sprawling store – which will include an indoor “playplace” and children’s party room – will be built on the corner of Attamurra Road and Jubilee Highway East.
According to licensee Liz Crick, the store will create up to 150 jobs and is scheduled to be completed in October.
Ms Crick – who along with her partner Bryce operates stores in Mount Gambier, Naracoorte and Portland – will be the region’s largest locally-based independent employer.
“We are very excited the new store will go ahead. Now it has planning approval, we can get the ball rolling,” Ms Crick told The Border Watch yesterday.
The store will be built adjacent the Dimjalla Skatepark, which will not be affected by the development.
“It will be a flagship store for McDonald’s new interior decor design – the playplace will be awesome,” the store operator said.
With the new store just months away from opening, Ms Crick said staff recruitment was already under way given they wanted “few teething problems” when it opened.
Explaining some management roles had been recruited, she encouraged people who were interested in working in the new store to apply online.
Revealing the new store took years to plan, Ms Crick said they investigated a number of sites before committing to the Jubilee Highway East parcel of land.
“It is located near the growth area of Mount Gambier and on a busy truck route – we feel it is the right place,” she explained.
With accessibility also a factor, she said they were also in talks with council in regards to traffic management improvements.
The licensee indicated they wanted to use as many regional contractors and tradesmen as possible during the build.
Ms Crick said there would also be ongoing work such as gardening and the upkeep of the site for regional businesses.
The licensees will employ around 500 people in the Portland, Mount Gambier and Naracoorte region once the new store is completed.
At this stage, it is envisaged the store will operate 24 hours per day.
