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McDonald’s in town centre to close
Reporter: Laura Wild
Date online: 26 October 2011
McDonald’s in Rochdale town centre is to close.
The fast food chain on Yorkshire Street will cease trading at the site on 19 November.
Bosses of the chain have put the decision down to changing trading patterns in the town centre.
Staff at the site will be relocated, meaning there won’t be any compulsory redundancies.
A McDonald’s spokesperson, said: “We can confirm that McDonald’s has taken the decision to close the restaurant at Yorkshire Street, Rochdale.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We constantly review our estate and after seeing trading patterns in the town centre change, we have taken the difficult decision to cease trading at this site.
“All staff are being relocated to neighbouring restaurants so no compulsory redundancies will take place as a result of this closure.
“With over 1,200 restaurants across the UK, it’s essential that we continue to have the right restaurants in the right places to ensure we stay relevant and convenient for our customers. The high street environment continues to change, and opening, closing or relocating restaurants enables us to take an integrated, focused and strategic approach to future growth.
“The restaurant will be closing on 19 November.”
Andy Zuntz, Executive Director at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We are very disappointed that McDonald’s have decided to close their restaurant in the town centre at such short notice and without any discussions with us.
“The outlet is very popular and I’m sure its Rochdale customers are as disappointed as we are at the decision.
“Given the regeneration activity taking place in the town centre, and the ambitious plans we have, we are surprised at this decision that McDonald’s have taken but we don’t have any control over decisions such as these taken by the private sector.
“We are confident that many restaurants as well as other businesses will want to be in our town centre as our exciting plans move forward.”
Debbie O’Brien, Chief Executive for Rochdale Town Centre Management, added: “We’re really sorry to hear this worrying news and very disappointed that McDonalds decided not to work with us and the Council to find a way for them to stay in the town centre.
“Obviously current trading conditions are very difficult for everyone and it’s such a shame to lose an integral business in Rochdale.”
Paul Turner-Mitchell, Director of 25 Ten Boutique, said the news was a “massive blow” to the town centre.
He added: “The kind of loss of any retailer in Rochdale - especially with the fairly limited offer we have - is desperate news.”
Mr Turner-Mitchell said the Council needs to look at a short term regeneration plan for the town centre.
Comments
I am shocked that Mr Zuntz is surprised that yet another town centre business is closing down. Hasn't he been in charge of 'regeneration' for some years. What exactly has he done to deserve his huge salary? Answers on a postage stamp please!
When even Ronald McDonald - whose global mission is to see American 'cultural hegenomy' spread across the face of the planet, with those plastic arches emblazoned on high streets from New York to Moscow and Third World shanti towns, urban slums in Africa to new Asian tigers in Beijing - no longer believe there's a cat in hells chance of making a fast buck from burgers and coke here, we know that Rochdale Town Centre is finished.
Where will all our bored teenagers hang around outside now?!
I am from South Africa and if you want to see urban decay you look at Johannesburg. If you want to regenerate an area you have to be a visionary. I worked on a committee that upgraded parts of JHB during 2005 to 2008 and you need to think out of the box, you need to work with business, you need to make the town attractive, you need to attract the right types of business, Rochdale needs a major facelift. I was last here in 2000 and I was amazed that the town looks the same if not slightly worse.
Letter to McDonalds: Please can you arrange for the "M" to be placed on top of the town hall in Rochdale so that everyone will be able to find where the "MORONS" who call themselves councilors meet! Then on your way out of town, remember to turn the light switch off. Thank you and goodbye - gurgle, gurgle, ship sinking!
Well this is a surprise. It is always busy. But then again we lost Burger King and KFC years ago. And none of the branded coffee chains has ever arrived. I can only assume that they have no confidence around the regeneration, or they may take a unit in the new centre eventually, or their landlord wants an expensive long term lease deal that isn't justified.
Whilst we can all agree with your 'M' to be placed on the Town Hall for 'Morons', many of us would also like to see an 'DEMBNV4T!' - 'Don't Encourage Morons By Not Voting 4 Them' sign on every ballot paper. Also apportion blame to the Rochdale voters who for 30 years have let these clowns rule the roost, mainly because anyone with some real get up and go got up and went years ago, some of that generation are back to care for elderly relatives and have higher expectations for our town's future.
Whilst it would probably be a major culture shock for some of these Rochdale 'limpets' who've hung on to their little empires in town as big fish in a little puddle, some returnees will start "turning the lights" back on as they come in. Hopefully some of these embedded wasters who've coasted for the past 30 years will jump out of their cushy all expenses paid nest eggs before they are pushed by people with a real grasp of politics and are motivated by need rather than greed and move aside.
Even leaving from McDonalds' role as environmental pariah, I have no sympathy for the people who 'eat' there or those teenagers who congregate from when they get out of bed at three until they get bored waiting to score some hash or cheap coke or booze, as they do on a nearly daily basis. If that's the best they can come up with in terms of aspirational teenage culture then God help us when these kids reach adulthood and replace their equally dysfunctional parents as the tax payers of Rochdale!
Have Your Say
Well that's the final nail in the coffin. Despite what people say about fast food, it was one of the busiest shops in Rochdale. I remember it opening and arranging to meet my friends there. Well if this isn't the biggest indicator of how bad things are in Rochdale to the powers that be, then there is no hope for Rochdale now. As for different trading patterns, translation: no one comes to Rochdale anymore. Well one more charity/pound/phone shop can now open in its place.
By Chill @ 26/10/2011 15:35:27