A council planner in Dublin is not saying “I’m lovin’ it” to McDonald’s plans to do away with its ground floor McCafe in its flagship restaurant on Grafton Street.
The fast food chain is facing a struggle to secure planning permission for its proposed alterations to one of its busiest branches in the country which is located in a listed building.
McDonald’s wants to remove its McCafe section from its Grafton St outlet to create additional space for high tables and seating with alterations to both its ground and first-floor layouts.
The plans also include the installation of self-serving kiosks and the reconfiguration of its serving counters and a refitting of the kitchen area.
McDonald’s claims its proposed alterations are “cosmetic”. However, the planning section of Dublin City Council said it had serious concerns about the removal of the McCafe unit and the installation of high tables directly behind the shopfront window as well as the use of “garish graphics” which will be visible from the street.
It signalled the proposal will not be fully compatible with and complementary to the character of the protected structure which also lies within a special planning control and architectural conservation area centred on Grafton Street.
There are concerns that the positioning of the new high tables and chairs and their use by customers directly behind the glazing would have a negative impact visually on the wider architectural conservation area,” a council planner said.
McDonald’s was asked last month to revise its plans to omit the high-level seating and to provide a “neutral colour design” for the restaurant.
A decision on the application for planning permission is due before the end of the month.