Hewletts Rd is one of the busiest in Tauranga. Photo / George Novak
A $4.5 million McDonald’s restaurant is expected to open on one of Tauranga’s busiest roads by the end of this year.
Tauranga City Council’s latest building consents report says construction of the restaurant at 122 Hewletts Rd will include a carpark, drive-through, signs, earthworks and drainage.
The restaurant will be 378sq m, excluding the drive-through and carpark.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi data showed an average 38,000 vehicles a day used Hewletts Rd, but the council said the restaurant would not adversely affect traffic.
McDonald’s head of impact and communications Simon Kenny said construction planning had begun, and the State Highway 2 location would “provide a convenient option” for travellers.
“It will be a smaller footprint restaurant, with services to suit customers who are on the go, or after a pit stop,” Kenny said.
“This is also the first new Macca’s in the region for some time, so it helps service the growth in the area and customer demand.”
There are currently five McDonald’s in Tauranga and 10 in the wider Bay of Plenty region. The last Bay of Plenty restaurant opened in Te Puke more than 15 years ago.
Rick Williams from Assault Boardriding Centre, which neighbours the new McDonald’s site, said he and the team were healthy, outdoorsy people.
“Our biggest problem is when we’re a little bit peckish about 3pm. Next thing you know, we’ve got an office full of Big Macs.”
The boardriding business sold wetsuits, surfboards, and specialised equipment for watersports such as kitesurfing and foiling.
He said the new McDonald’s restaurant might introduce the business to people “who don’t know about us”.
The new restaurant was also next to Gull’s unmanned Hocking St petrol station.
Gull spokesperson Julien Leys said the petrol station would be closed from this Wednesday for up to a week to allow for the rerouting of electrical and data cables.
“But Gull Hewletts Rd will remain open as usual.”
The council’s general manager regulatory and community services Sarah Omundsen said a transport assessment had found the McDonald’s would not adversely affect road safety or transport network efficiency.
February’s consents report showed 109 building consents were issued, valued at $72.3m – a sharp spike from January’s 76 building consents valued at almost $26 million.
Of February’s 109 consents, $37m was concentrated in Mount Maunganui.
Pāpāmoa had $9m worth of building consents.
Fifty-nine new dwelling units valued at $29.1m were issued, and 21 commercial building consents were issued for a value of $39.3m.
February’s data showed an improvement from the same time last year, when 93 building consents were issued at a total $45.5m.
In February 2024, 111 building consents were issued to a value of $114.8m.
Omundsen said the fluctuations were primarily down because of the timing of large commercial consents.
57 Pitau Rd - The Pitau Retirement Village
Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire and acoustic performance, and architectural finishes.
$17,500,000
57 Pitau Rd - The Pitau Retirement Village
This consent package is specific to the facade and envelope works for Tower 1 only.
$9,000,000
122 Hewletts Rd
A new McDonald’s restaurant, carparking, drive-through, signs, earthworks and drainage.
$4,500,000
1 Constellation Way
Four three-bedroom dwellings with attached single garages.
$2,629,120
16 Oxford St
Two two-level, two-bedroom duplexes; two two-level, three-bedroom detached dwellings; and two two-level, four-bedroom detached dwellings.
$2,600,000
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.