The Sydney suburbs falling out of love with fast food
Some residents, in submissions to the City of Sydney Council, argued King Street was already home to five chicken shops and the addition of a sixth would 'undermine the culinary diversity and community atmosphere that makes King Street so special'.
Meanwhile, Guzman y Gomez was forced to scale back plans for a 24/7 outlet in Mosman after concerns were raised by council planners regarding the possible impact of noise.
In May, the City of Sydney Council rejected plans for a 24-hour McDonald's in Redfern following resistance from residents and police.
The planning battles come as new figures show fast food companies are rapidly increasing the number of outlets across Australia, with Guzman y Gomez opening 27 restaurants in 2024, followed by KFC with 23, McDonald's with 19, Domino's with 18 and Hungry Jack's with 16.
The figures, published by ANZ in its food, beverage and agribusiness insights report, estimated there could be at least 30,000 quick service and fast food outlets in Australia by 2030 – the equivalent of one restaurant for every 1000 Australians.
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou has criticised the opposition to fast food applications, arguing the refusals can rob consumers of choice.
'For a restaurant to be refused over noise and crime is wrong – these stores employ a lot of people and if there's demand, they should be able to operate,' he said.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for McDonald's said the company is 'committed to engaging with councils and communities to ensure we're listening to feedback'.
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'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,' she said.
McDonald's has not ruled out challenging the Northern Beaches Council's decision to refuse its application in the Land and Environment Court.
'We will take our time to review council's decision and feedback before considering next steps,' the spokeswoman said.
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