Surprising Macca's trend sweeping Australia
Among high-profile campaigns against a venue on the 'coolest street' in Melbourne and several in Sydney, locals in small hamlets are also opposing the Golden Arches.
There were 16 petitions listed on Change.org over the past few years where residents have voiced concerns over the impact of such developments on local character, safety and small businesses.
For some, the opposition to these projects was more about logistics than a rejection of big business.
Jamie Vachon this year started a petition against a 24/7 restaurant in Sydney's north shore, telling news.com.au its location on Willoughby Road, Crows Nest was a major concern.
'I think if McDonald's was trying to open near the new Metro (station) we wouldn't be talking about it,' he said.
'My petition was specifically about the fact that they were pushing to be open 24/7. Which is a big issue in Crows Nest because nothing's open (late), except for the Crows Nest Hotel. So that could just cause chaos.
'It's right next to residential units … they're not going to have toilets. There's just a lot that screams it's going to be a bit of a disaster.'
Other campaigns were being waged in Ipswich, Queensland, the rural town of Kyneton near Victoria's Dandenong Ranges and at Coffs Harbour on NSW's mid-north coast.
Amy Kidd, who campaigned against a McDonald's at Mount Evelyn in Victoria's Yarra Ranges, said opposition 'grew rapidly' in her community.
More than 300 people wrote to the local council, which eventually blocked the plans for an outlet that was to be opened in a residential area.
'We are a community that values our town character, small businesses, and our local environment. A fast food restaurant is a threat to all of those things,' she said.
'Our win shows just how powerful communities can be when they come together.
'The site is up for sale again, and we will be keeping a close eye on any new development proposals.'
There were already more than 1000 McDonald's stores across Australia in 2024, which according to the company employed more than 100,000 people.
The City of Sydney's independent panel recently rejected a proposed $3 venue at inner city Redfern after locals and NSW Police both wrote submissions against it.
Members of the Redfern's indigenous community also raised concerns about the offering undermining public health outcomes.
Plans lodged with the same council appear to show a McDonald's was being planned for hipster haven King St, Newtown – an area traditionally against major fast-food chains.
It would be located next door to local favourite Clems, a chicken shop opened back in 1982.
Residents and businesses in inner north Melbourne suburb Northcote have spoken out to slam plans for a McDonald's on the suburb's main street, which was voted the 'coolest street in the world' by Time Out last year.
Northcote Business Association president Andrew Mansfield said a Maccas on High St would 'change the tone of what we are', and local Franc de Petro said it was 'unfathomable'.
'High Street … has zero multinational franchise outlets and has plenty of locally run food outlets, many doing burgers of various kinds,' he told The Age.
'It just doesn't fit in or make any sense for Northcote.'
McDonald's Australia has been contacted for comment.
Dr Sisi Jia from the University of Sydney said changing characters of neighbourhoods was one thing – another was the health impact of increasing cheap and available fast food.
'There's a whole topic in public health research called food environments,' she said.
'So what foods are available, accessible, affordable to people.
'And so the concern with opening up a lot of these restaurants in neighbourhoods is increasing people's access and therefore their consumption of these foods.'
Data from market research firm IBISWorld estimated McDonald's Australian sales to be $5.7 billion in 2024-2025, rising from $5.4 billion in 2023-2024.
Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker has found 60 per cent of Australia's spent money on food delivery or takeaway in July, with the average Aussie spending $83 per week.
However, IBISWorld's research also showed McDonald's market share dropped from 21.5 per cent in June 2022 to 19.3 per cent by the same time this year.
'While absolute sales figures might be rising, it is anticipated that McDonald's is losing market share to other fast food providers in Australia,' IBISWorld Industry team leader Disha Jeswanth said, adding Guzman y Gomez had proven be a 'major emerging competitor'.
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said he understood community concerns about fast food outlets but a 'blanket ban might not be the best option.
'To offer some context, it is increasingly difficult for people to find places to dine late at night and to a large extent that vacuum has been filled by fast food chains,' Mr Nicolaou said.
'So, the question is how you get the balance right where people can exercise choice, remembering also that fast food chains also support many jobs.'
He said 'with a bit of imagination' councils and fast-food chains could find 'solutions that provide consumer choice without disruption to local communities'.
A spokesperson for McDonald's Australia said: 'McDonald's has been part of Sydney communities since 1971, when we opened our very first Australian restaurant in the Western Sydney suburb of Yagoona. Since then, our business has grown alongside the communities we serve and we proudly employ more than 115,000 people, serve up a locally sourced Australian menu and support hundreds of community groups and causes across our 1,050 restaurants, nationwide.
'As we continue to grow, we're delivering more new restaurants, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, recruiting new franchisees, increasing our spend with our Aussie supply chain, and investing in more innovative ways to deliver great value, convenience, and a great customer experience.
'We are committed to engaging with Councils and communities to ensure we're listening to feedback and submitting development applications for restaurants that are thoughtfully designed for the community. This includes limiting the impact of common concerns such as traffic, noise, and waste, and promoting our potential to contribute as a local employer and a business committed to giving back to the neighbourhood.
'We are excited by the possibility of joining the Newtown community. A new Macca's in Newtown represents an investment of around $2 million and will mean more than 100 new local jobs and more support for local community groups in the area.'
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