MCDONALD’S Forster will be open for 24 hours throughout the summer holidays for the next five years.
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The McDonald’s drive through and outside dining area will remain closed, with customers only allowed to go inside the restaurant.
Great Lakes Council development assessment manager Wayne Burgess said the restrictions aimed to reduce the late-night noise that the outlet's neighbours would be exposed to.
The drive through runs next to some houses to the south and west of the building.
The outside dining area will be closed from 11pm to 6am, and McDonald’s will be in charge of keeping litter off Mark St.
Mr Burgess said the police raised concerns about possible assaults, damage and other antisocial behaviour, so the business will employ a security guard.
“We’ve got a lot of restrictions on the application’s conditions,” Mr Burgess said.
“Council can cease the DA if we receive a significant amount of complaints. We are placing McDonald’s on the record so they do the right things.”
McDonald’s Forster licensee Hayden Smith said they wanted to stay open during the holidays for people who wanted to get something to eat after 10pm.
“We trialled keeping the front counter open last year over five nights a week and we had no security issues,” Mr Smith said.
“All the regulars and tourists were really respectable.
“We made it clear to the neighbours that we don’t want to disturb them, they are always my priority.”
Mr Smith said he would try to fill the new late-night positions with people older than 18.
“We don’t want to have young school kids on late at night,” Mr Smith said.
“We are lucky to have a group of people that are willing to work over night through summer, and enough of them so the same people have to do it all the time.
“I’m very grateful to a few people from council. The mayor, Lisa Schiff and Wayne Burgess have been really supportive.
“We will do our very best to uphold that faith and run a great operation. I think it is a success story that we can have businesses service people over night, and it shows that it is a sign of progression in Forster.”
