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 hope 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 will occupy a marginally larger footprint.
The new design will improve the restaurant’s drive-thru and maximise kitchen space.
Inside it will have seating for 80-90 people, similar to the previous capacity.
Staff posts affected
In a planning submission, McDonald’s say: “The restaurant employs 136 local people of which 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 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 re-open 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.”
The total number of parking bays will stay at 31.
Angus Council has set a target date of late April to make a decision on the application.
Opened 25 years ago
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.”
November’s blaze took hold in the early hours.
Fire crews spent 10 hours putting out the flames.
The cause was later traced to a fault in an ice machine.
And the outlet was bulldozed after a demolition order was put on the charred shell.
Discussions around the rebuild began within days of the fire.
“The key parameters were to rebuild the restaurant with a negligible impact on scale and massing on the site,” said the company.
They want the new design to use sustainable materials to supply “a building for the future”.
Conversation