McDonald’s to make Rochdale return
The fast-food chain’s decision to shut its Yorkshire Street site in 2011 was held up as a sign of the high street’s failure. 13 years on, the restaurant is coming back to the town centre.
A Guardian article titled I’m leaving it: McDonald’s quits Rochdale’s ailing town centre, used the closure of McDonald’s central Rochdale outlet to paint a picture of a wider malaise. McDonald’s closure, the article said, was “another nail in the coffin for [Rochdale’s] struggling high street”.
Now, the fast-food giant is returning to the town centre, launching a consultation on plans for a drive-thru restaurant on the corner of Molesworth Street and Water Street, less than half a mile from the old restaurant.
Have your say on plans for a McDonald’s in Rochdale town centre
If McDonald’s departure was a seen as symptom of market failure, then its return could be viewed as a sign that things are looking up.
The McDonald’s planned on Molesworth Street will be the third in Rochdale; the other two are at out-of-town retail parks.
Oliver Rebeiro, senior acquisitions surveyor at McDonald’s said: “The site is ideally placed to serve residents and visitors in Rochdale.
“We’re confident that residents and local businesses will recognise the value of greater choice and the benefits of having a reliable and convenient restaurant from a recognised brand serving food at reasonable prices.”
McDonald’s is also developing proposals for a restaurant in Hyde. The outlet would be located off Grafton Street, close to Junction 3 on the M67. Combined, the Rochdale and Hyde restaurants are expected to create around 240 jobs, according to McDonald’s.
Don’t want just a drive thru want a proper sit down place to eat
By Sue
Great bring back to Town Centre
By Anonymous
Original mcds shouldnt have closed. Be nice to have a new store in the town centre again. Good news for the town
By Realtreat
On a very busy road not safe
By Anonymous
That junction is already a nightmare at peak times, without the added problem a McDonalds
By Paul Hartley
About time is all I can say,
By Anonymous
One of the big reasons the original store shut down was because the town centre’s policies at the time banned free wifi hotspots, it was the only McDonald’s in the country without free wifi for a few months before it closed down.
By RPGpro
Why not use the old Post Office or the old Santander building? Actually IN the town centre. Sack the drive thru.
By Anonymous
Bring it back into the town centre! Would be great business and be so busy
By Mia
Don’t want just a drive through need a proper restaurant
By S.k.
Looks like the site will see another loss of parking in the town. Don’t think Rochdale wants visitors. Too many fast food places in the town.
By Anonymous
Molesworth St no good without a car,town centre would be better
By Anonymous
Wow, it’s a bit of a daft place to put a Macdonald’s. I can only imagine it’s going on the carpark on the corner. Madness and poor planning at it’s finest
By Lewis
We definitely don’t need a drive-thru in the town centre as we already have two of them not to far away, what would be best is a sit in like they had before.
By Royale cars
Far from a sign of high street business returning; a different business model. Will serve the mobile brigade and carry out merchants.
By Brian Davidson
Not the best of places to put a MacDonald’s drive thru! This area is heavily congested with traffic at the best of times.
By Anonymous
Will be great to have McDonald’s back in town centre. But with sit down Area and not just a drive thru
By Greta
Real reason it shut down was astronomical rents and rates
By Anonymous
Terrible business decision, who actually thinks people will go to that McDonald’s when we have 1000 other fast food places to choose from
By Anonymous
It seems that councils don’t mind the loss of parking. Perhaps an ulterior motive to try and nudge people out of their cars? I’ll take the nudge as a sign that I should drive somewhere else instead.
By Rik
Definitely need to bring McDonald’s back to the town centre with a set in restaurant probably the worst decision ever made getting rid of it in the first place
By Emna
I’d prefer a burger king tbh
By Suzie
Great news for the town of Rochdale, it will attract more people to shop in the town centre.
By Anonymous
Terrible spot to build a Fast food take away, the junction is already way to busy at peak times. Adding this would be detrimental to the transport links in the town causing even more congestion. It needs to be build in the new Riverside shopping complex not where it has been suggested. RMBC take note if planning approval is given at the current location you will be making the town even more congested.
By Anonymous
The original macdonalds closed because because the morons who frequent these places,who are to lazy/stupid to cook for themselves could not park bang outside it and were also to lazy to walk to it.
By BrianW
Think we need more educational facilities not fastfood restaurants…
By Anonymous