Toowoomba McDonald’s franchisee Mark Ward reveals when new Harlaxton restaurant will open

The man who will open Toowoomba’s 10th McDonald’s restaurant has revealed how long it has taken to get the new location off the ground. Here’s when it will open.

Mark Ward, new Toowoomba McDonald's in Harlaxton.

Toowoomba’s “Macca’s King” Mark Ward hopes to open his ninth McDonald’s restaurant before the end of the year — a project nearly a decade in the making.

“The need for this restaurant was identified by the developer (Ian Knox), who had the first meeting with me about 10 years ago,” the prominent fast food franchisee said.

“To think it’s taken this long — I know there were some plans, but time evaporates before our eyes.”

Mark Ward.

Mr Ward has welcomed the June approval by a planning and environment court order of the new $6m location on the corner of Ruthven and Jones streets in Harlaxton.

The ruling from Judge Michael Rackemann, which followed mediation between McDonald’s Australia and the Toowoomba Regional Council, came a year after councillors narrowly voted at a special meeting to go against their planner’s recommendation and reject the restaurant.

The grounds for refusal were based on impacts around traffic, acoustics and amenity, and that it would result in “strip development and ad hoc expansion of the existing ‘centre’”.

Residents had also expressed safety concerns around its proximity to Harlaxton State School.

DIVIDED: The approved McDonald's restaurant on Ruthven St, which would sit directly opposite Harlaxton State School.

The drive-through eatery is expected to employ more than 200 people during construction and operation.

Mr Ward, who will soon own nine of Toowoomba’s 10 McDonald’s locations, said he was excited to see work start on it.

“I’m bullish and there are no guarantees, and the cost in opening one of these restaurants is very high,” he said.

“We’re representing what we need to do, it is a great location and will serve the Toowoomba area.

“What we’re doing now has been planned for months and years in advance.

The site of the approved McDonald's in Harlaxton. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“I’ve watched the town go from one restaurant to 10, there’s a lot of competition now (in fast food) — we’re not growing in an isolated environment, it’s very competitive.”

Mr Ward, who took over Clive Armitage’s collection of franchises many years ago, said Toowoomba had often been a notable city for pioneering features of McDonald’s restaurants.

“This (restaurant) will get us to around 750 workers, it’s a big responsibility – we hope to open before the end of the year,” he said.

“The city store that we refurbished in 1999 was the first freestanding licensee-owned McCafe in the world.

“We did the first tandem drive-through and we did the first frozen Coke (in Australia) right here in Toowoomba.

“Sometimes in life, we are our own worst critics — set your sights high, because you’ll be surprised with what you can achieve.”