McDonalds to open in year

Press, 31 May 1986, Page 3

McDonalds to open in year

Three Christchurch sites have been confirmed for McDonalds hamburger restaurants.

They are: Linwood (at the corner of the new Linwood City Mall, now occupied by a T.A.8., appliance shop and vacant takeaway bar); Merivale (217 Papanui Road, formerly the Canterbury Wine and Spirit drivethrough liquor outlet); and Riccarton (the Riccarton Mall Service Station site

with two adjoining residential properties in Matipo Street).

The firm hopes the restaurants will be open by about June next year. Mr Gary Lloydd, the company’s managing director (New Zealand), said the total development including land and buildings would be valued at more than $5 million. He would not disclose prices paid for the sites. “The price of land in

Christchurch is unrealistically high but we have followed our policy of buying only the best sites,” he said.

The design of the buildings and management of the three restaurants are yet to be decided. Mr Lloydd said the company would like to open the restaurants at the same

time or within a few weeks of one another. Work is expected to start on the Linwood restaurant first.

“The three Christchurch restaurants will be our flagships for the South Island and we expect to open in other South Island centres in 1988 and 1989 but no sites have yet been acquired,” he said.