Plans have been lodged with the Thames-Coromandel District Council for a fast-food outlet to be built in the Coromandel Peninsula town of Whitianga. The plans are for the 254m2 site on the corner of Joan Gaskell Drive and State Highway 25, on the outskirts of the town of almost 5,000.
While the main street has a Subway, the majority of food outlets in the town are small, independently owned takeaway shops, as well as bars and restaurants. Local opinion was split, with some opposing the commercialisation of the town and worrying that it would destroy the character, while others argued that it would provide ‘hassle-free’ options for families with young children as well as providing a food option for those arriving in the town later at night – a common gripe for visitors to the area.
The site falls under the Whitianga Waterways development. Project manager Peter Abrahamson said that no discussions had begun in regards to what business would occupy the site. Abrahamson said that “there is no timeframe on that,” and that the development was being “transparent with signalling the plans.”
