McDonald’s to close in blow for Wellgate

A FAST food eatery is set for closure in the near future in the latest setback for the city’s Wellgate Centre.

McDonald’s has confirmed it will cease operations at its Wellgate restaurant at the end of this month.

The burger chain will bring the shutters down on its shopping centre outlet for the last time on August 31.

No jobs are expected to be lost as a result of the closure, with staff being redistributed across the American firm’s three other Dundee eateries.

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “We are sad to confirm that the Wellgate Centre restaurant in Dundee will be closing permanently on August 31 2019.

“This decision was not taken lightly and all of our restaurant crew will be transferred to one of our other restaurants nearby.

“We would like to thank all of our customers who have visited us at the Wellgate Centre over the years and hope they continue to enjoy our food in our other restaurants in the city.”

The closure of the restaurant – a key ground floor unit in the centre on the main promenade – is a further setback for the Wellgate, which has seen several high-profile firms disappear from within its walls.

But the centre has also been buoyed by the recent arrivals of budget gym chain Xercise4Less and superstore TJ Hughes.

The latter took over the former BHS units, which had lain empty since the firm went under in 2016.

Couple Robin and Ann Smith are regular visitors to McDonald’s in Dundee and were shocked to learn of the fast food eaterie shutting.

Joiner Robin, 58, said: “I am a big McDonald’s fan with the plain old cheeseburger and milkshake but our granddaughter loves the chicken McNuggets.

“It is a city centre restaurant and not like one of those that are thrown up like a kit in a retail park.”

Ashley McDonald, 31, from Hilltown, said: “I don’t know what I will do because we use it quite a lot with the kids. In fact, nearly all the time.

“It is quite disappointing to hear that news even if they move it somewhere else.

“This will be a big change for a lot of people.

“The other one is usually packed out when the kids are at school.

“But the Wellgate has a better service, so I don’t understand this.

“If they opened a big one then it would benefit a lot of people.”

No jobs are expected to be lost with the closure.