$4m Macca’s to rise from ashes
‘‘More than 75 parttime and full-time staff, including 40 new employees, will work at the restaurant.’’
Work has started on a state-of-theart $4 million McDonald’s at Silverstream.
The 480-square-metre building will replace the one damaged beyond repair by fire in February.
It will be almost half as big again as its predecessor, seat more than 100 people, and include a $65,000 two-storey indoor playground.
In a first for the Wellington region, it will also feature a ’’Sparkle’’ table, full of touchsensitive LED lights and interactive options, as well as USB charging ports at every table, and six self-ordering kiosks.
More than 75 part-time and full-time staff, including 40 new employees, will work at the restaurant when it opens its doors in mid-November.
The building had been relocated to the southern boundary of the Fergusson Dr site, operations manager Jonty Barker said. ’’ We will have more car parking because of that, in a better location, and with a dual drive-thru which will feature digital menu boards.’’
The only other ‘‘Sparkle’’ table in New Zealand at present is at the McDonald’s in Greenlane, Auckland, ‘‘where it’s been really popular, and not just with kids’’, Barker said.
The Silverstream restaurant is owned by Chris and Liz Boon, a Hutt Valley couple who have twice won McDonald’s Operator of the Year award. The couple, who are currently overseas, own McDonald’s restaurants in Upper Hutt’s Main St, Petone and Wainuiomata.
At the time of the fire, caused by a compressor in the roof, 65 staff were at Silverstream. ’’I can remember standing with them under a big tree on the other side of the road. We were all so shocked,’’ Barker said. Those workers had been relocated to other McDonald’s restaurants.
‘‘The majority went to Upper Hutt, where we have 110 people, but we also placed 10 in Petone and five in Lower Hutt. Everyone got the same hours and the same pay that they were on.’’
The 40 new jobs will be filled in October to allow for training at Upper Hutt before the Silverstream opening.
Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy said the project, being built by Porirua’s Strait Construction, was a significant investment and vote of confidence in the local economy. ‘‘The council has worked closely with the Boons to get this under way as quickly as possible.’’