TAKEAWAY TAKEOVER
McDonald’s and Muzz Buzz plan new locations across Darwin P11
TWO major fast-food franchises are set to expand business in Darwin.
A new McDonald’s restaurant has been proposed for Casuarina on Bradshaw Tce, on the site of the former Home Timber & Hardware store and opposite Hungry Jack’s.
The restaurant would become the second in the suburb, 700m away from McDonald’s in Casuarina Square Shopping Centre.
A proposal to the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (DIPL) shows the restaurant would have a dining area with 100 seats and an internal party room.
It would also have a duallane drive-through with 18 waiting parking bays, 63 parking bays and 12 bicycle racks.
There are currently nine McDonald’s franchises in the Northern Territory.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman said it was too early to comment on the proposal.
“We’re still working through the approval process for this location and don’t want to pre-empt the decision of the council,” she said.
National drive-through coffee franchise Muzz Buzz is also returning to its original location at Darwin Airport Central.
In 2018, franchisees Kimdelia and Rod Cole famously removed the Muzz Buzz building in the dead of night following a dispute with the company.
Muzz Buzz executive chairman Warren Reynolds was thrilled to bring the business back to Darwin with a bigger and better menu.
“We’re really looking forward to getting open again,” he said.
“We’ve got a good following up there and we’re pleased to be coming back.”
Mr Reynolds said the drive-through would employ 10 to 12 people, and would take advantage of Darwin’s local produce and other businesses.
“We’ll create a decent amount of business for people up there, which will be good,” he said.
“We expect to be open by the first week of June but we may be able to open quicker than that.”
He said the franchise was also looking to establish another two or three drivethrough businesses in the coming year.
Another proposal to DIPL shows the Coles are attempting to re-establish their new business CRAVE Cold Brew N Superfoods in the old Muzz Buzz structure.
It is proposed to be developed on Tulagi Rd in Yarrawonga.
“We’re the original owners and we still own it,” Mrs Cole told the Sunday Territorian.
“Our court case has finalised and we retained the ownership of our building.
“We’re now using this time to wait for our application to be approved and re-establish in our own building.”