Carl's Jr moves a step closer

Fast food restaurant Carl's Jr has now applied for resource consent to build a restaurant on Rotorua's Amohau St next to McDonald's and building could begin by the middle of next month.

It would create between 50-70 jobs. Rotorua District Council team leader of resource consents Portia McKenzie said the council had now received a resource consent application to build an 80-seat 275sq m drive-through restaurant at 1138 Amohau St, with 26 car parks.

Vehicles will be able to enter from and exit on to Amohau St and at the rear of the site adjacent to the carpark for Kurious Kiwi and Burger King.

Carl's Jr is an American fast food restaurant chain. Its first restaurant in New Zealand opened in 2011. There are now seven restaurants in Auckland with one opening recently on Queen St. There is also a Carl's Jr restaurant in Palmerston North. Over time, the company expects to have between 35-60 Carl's Jr restaurants around the country. Each stores employs between 60-70 people.

Pukeroa Oruawhata owns the land and The Mill liquor store which was previously on the site has been demolished.

Mrs McKenzie said the council would have to decide within 10 days whether the application needed to be publicly notified.

If the application didn't need to be notified the council had 20 working days to decide whether to grant resource consent.

Carl's Jr had previously applied for building consent and that had just been granted. If resource consent was granted, building could start on the restaurant as early as the middle of next month, Mrs McKenzie said.

The restaurant is owned by Restaurant Brands and general manager of Carl's Jr for Restaurant Brands, Craig Neal has previously said that any store location for Rotorua remained a proposal until applications and consents had been approved.

Once the council had granted approval, Restaurant Brands chief executive Russel Creedy would then review the proposal.