Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
McDonald’s rebuild plan
MCDONALD’S has submitted plans to rebuild its Monifieth restaurant destroyed in a ferocious blaze late last year.
The Ethiebeaton Park outlet had to be completely demolished after it was gutted in the early hours of November 21.
An application has now been lodged with Angus Council to replace the restaurant on the original site.
And McDonald’s hopes planners will give it the go-ahead as soon as possible to get more than 100 staff back to work there.
The fast food giant says the new restaurant would occupy a marginally larger footprint.
The new design would improve the restaurant’s drive-thru and maximise kitchen space.
Inside, it would have seating for 80-90 people, similar to the previous capacity.
In a planning submission, McDonald’s said: “The restaurant employs 136 local people, of whom 19 are in management positions.
“Every one of the 19 managers started work as part-time crew members and this clearly shows the opportunities that we are able to offer.
“Since the fire, all of the employees have been relocated to other local restaurants.
“Unfortunately, 39 members of our team have been lost due to the increase in travel and journey times to the other restaurants.
“We would anticipate losing more of the employees the longer the restaurant is closed and this is why it is imperative we are able to reopen as quickly as possible.
“The existing space in and around the site will be unaltered.
“No new access routes are required as there is ample access to the site, with no change to parking, circulation of traffic or access/egress.”
Angus Council has set a target date of late April to make a decision on the application.
The original restaurant opened in 1999. It is operated by Tayside franchisee, Nick McPartland.
McDonald’s added: “Parents, who live in Monifieth and the surrounding area, were employed by the restaurant as their first part-time job and many of them now have their children doing exactly the same.”
Fire crews spent 10 hours putting out the blaze in November.
The cause was later traced to a fault in an ice machine.
Discussions around the rebuild began within days of the fire.