The former McDonald’s / Co-Operative building in Southport town centre is back on the market after German Doner Kebab declined to take up its planned lease on the site.
In May last year, German Doner Kebab announced that it would open in the site, on the corner of Eastbank Street and King Street, by the end of 2022.
The development would have included a £500,000 investment with the creation of 30 new jobs.
The chain is no longer pursuing its plans for the site, which is now once again available to let via the Perkins Fox website.
The Poundland unit on the Eastbank Street side of the building closed last week.
German Doner Kebab had obtained planning permission for the site, which boasts A3 Consent, suitable for cafes and restaurants.
rrplanning, which submitted the German Doner Kebab planning application to Sefton Council on behalf of German Doner Kebab, had said: “The property is long term vacant since at least 2015 and the proposed scheme will help to encourage new life and footfall to the area to the betterment of the conservation area as whole.
“The applicants are investing approximately £500,000 in the premises and will create 30 new jobs in the town centre.”
The popular McDonald’s outlet, which opened in the 1980s, shocked local residents when it closed suddenly in October 2014 and has remained empty ever since.
It is in a prime site however with millions of pounds of investment pouring into the area.
It sits next door to Southport Market, which was transformed into a brand new food, drink and events venue thanks to £1.4 million funding in July 2021 thanks to Southport Town Deal and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The Market Quarter has since seen the arrival of a number of new local, independent businesses. Season Coffee, Bar & Kitchen has opened opposite the market on King Street; The Coronation pub is due to be redeveloped; while The Cake Box and Eva’s Sewing Room have also arrived.
The new Southport Enterprise Arcade is due to open on Eastbank Street, opposite the former McDonald’s, in the next few months in a £1.5 million Southport Town Deal scheme.
This autumn, work is due to take place on pedestrianising nearby Market Street and making King Street one-way, in a bid to increase footfall and attract more visitors to the area.
The former McDonald’s premises are now available to let by way of sub-lease on a FRI basis to expire on 24th December 2026.
Doner Kebab is a fast food retailer that has created a healthy and nutritionally balanced approach to traditional kebabs.
The firm opened its first store in Berlin in 1989.
The firm has an outlet in Preston, as well as in countries around the world including: the US, Canada, Germany, Sweden, UAE, Ireland and Saudi Arabia.
It is now yet known whether German Doner Kebab is investigating alternative potential sites in Southport.
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