Business Confidential: Brisbane boardroom and commercial property news and gossip
McDONALD’S flagship Brisbane store has opened, reclaiming the crown of Australia’s biggest Macca’s held by a previous inner-city outlet.
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THE new McDonald’s store in the Queen Street Mall opened this week, thanks to the persistence of McGees Property Australia chairman Justin Clarke.
The father of four well knows the lure of the Golden Arches.
And it was three years ago when Justin had his light bulb moment — why not get McDonalds into the 1000sq m space that was home for Stefan Arkerie’s Jo-Jo’s restaurant on the corner of Albert St for almost 40 years.
Over that period he had to convince a lot of people that it made sense.
The end result is Brisbane’s flagship McDonald’s store in a leasing deal we understand is the largest of its kind in the Brisbane CBD.
We’re sure Justin will be at the store’s official grand opening on Saturday to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, we understand the smaller Jo-Jo’s at Stefan’s headquarters in Melbourne St, South Brisbane, is doing a roaring trade.
For the record, a reader has reminded us of the McDonald’s in the Regent Theatre complex in the Queen Street Mall.
The Regent McDonald’s was opened in 1980 in the basement, had seating for 410 and employed 210 full-time and casual staff. When it closed in 2003 it was the largest McDonald’s in Australia.
The new McDonald’s reclaims that crown for the city, after Perth’s Melville store was touted as the nation’s biggest in December 2015.
High on the Hog’s
MCDONALD’S is not the only big player making moves in Brisbane’s CBD, with Queensland company Hog’s Australia’s Steakhouse launching its new Hog’s Express model in the Myer Centre this week.
Taking on the competing fast food outlets, the chain will offer burgers, sliders, ribs, wings and its famous curly fries.
It’s a new quick-service model for the home-grown company, which has been operating sit-down restaurants for 28 years and has 80 locations across Australia.
Chief executive Ross Worth said the time was right for change.
“We know that consumers are increasingly busy and looking for quick, accessible and inexpensive food options so we’re incredibly excited about the future of this model, and the versatility it affords us to pop up anywhere from shopping centres and petrol stations, to airports and cinemas,” he said.
Mr Worth added Hog’s Express had already generated buzz from potential franchisees, with a further ten locations planned for the next 12-18 months.
“There are a massive number of opportunities in this space and we have a world-class offering, so the Express model could easily overtake our restaurant portfolio in numbers,” Mr Worth said.
Designs on expansion
BRISBANE-based Bureau Proberts is set to expand after more than 25 years in the building design game.
On the back of a growing domestic and international portfolio, the ML Design team is moving in to the first Adelaide St headquarters.
Managing director Liam Proberts said: “Bureau Proberts has worked alongside ML Design for a number of years, so we have first-hand experience with their work and talented designers.”
ML Design, a multidisciplinary design studio, has been delivering creative architecture and urban design spaces throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East for more than 30 years.
“Bureau Proberts is excited about the new phase our business is entering,” Liam said.
“By adding to our talent pool, we’re now able to increase capacity to better deliver on our architecture and urban design services — the same territory ML Design had pioneered.”
Builder’s new boss
BUILDING and construction consulting firm Donald Cant Watts Corke has appointed James Tucker as a director of the Queensland business, and head of the project management team.
Managing director Queensland Bill Douglas said James was a “experienced and committed individual with an impressive project portfolio spanning Australia, Europe and Papua New Guinea”.
James was a consultant with Donald Cant Watts Corke before taking on his new role.
He was previously with AECOM and before that John Holland and Decmil Australia.
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