1994: Closure of the original Yagoona McDonalds

McDonald's Yagoona is Australia's first McDonald's restaurant, opening in 1971. It closed in 1994, following restaurants opening in Bass Hill and Bankstown, which took away business from the Yagoona store. In 2021, McDonald's reopened on the site, with a contemporary design incorporating historical elements from its first incarnation.

Source: Mason, D. 1994. "Original Macs faces the chop". The Sunday Telegraph, August 23: 7. 

The closure of any McDonald's restaurant was rare back in that time. Since 2000, the closure of McDonald's restaurants has increased, but it is still outnumbered by store openings. Some closures result from a decision to relocate or in some instances beyond their control, e.g. McDonald's Pitt & Park Street closed to make way for the Sydney Metro around 2017. 

Another decision to close the restaurant was that the facilities in other stores were more modern, which was difficult to achieve on the site at the time.

After closure, it was converted into a building for commercial use. According to Google Streetview, extensions to the original restaurant were "tacked on" before the redevelopment back into a McDonald's restaurant which saw the demolition of the structure and the modern restaurant that occupies the site today.

Remember This? When McDonald's first opened in central Sydney (1972)

Mcdonald's opened their first store in Australia in 1971 in Yagoona. The following year, the first store in Central Sydney opened. It was at 632-634 George Street, not far from their current lodgings inside the former Plaza Theatre (from 1984).

   

Source: McDonald's System of Australia Pty. Ltd. 1972. "McDonald's first city location" (Advertisement). The Sydney Morning Herald, November 4: 10. 

Nine stores currently trade in the Sydney CBD, including the Ultimo Store at Railway Square, Darling Quarter and Darling Square. 

In recent years a number of stores have closed. There may be some on the list that are missing. Let me know if I have left any out (excluding ones that were relocated):

• Pitt & Park Street - Closed due to Sydney Metro construction. The building was demolished. 
• Martin Place - Closed due to Sydney Metro construction.
• The Rocks - The Rocks Centre
• Ground floor, Metropolitan Hotel (Corner of George and Bridge Street) - Closed due to "end of lease", as I recall, around a decade ago. 
• Harbourside Darling Harbour - Closed due to the current redevelopment of the site.
• Mid City Centre - This operated as a McDonald's Express outlet, I recall and closed due to redevelopment into the current centre.
• Centrepoint Sydney - Located in the food court before redevelopment into Westfield Sydney.
• Glasshouse - Operated as a McDonald's Express outlet but unable to provide a date of closure.
• Hunter Connection - This operated as a McDonald's Express outlet, I recall and closed sometime in the 2000s.
• Hoyts Cinema Centre, George Street

1984: The Conservation of the Plaza Theatre

 

Source: Anon. 1984. "Plaza's face saved". The Sydney Morning Herald, February 2: 16.

For nearly forty years, the the McDonalds Plaza restaurant (as it is known) has been located in the former Plaza Theatre in George Street, directly opposite Event Cinemas. McDonalds bought the building from the Hoyts Theatre organisation in 1981 and spent $2 million dollars converting the former theatre into a retail and commercial office building. The restored building was officially opened by NSW Premier Neville Wran in February 1984. The McDonalds restaurant opened in December 1983 and has traded there to this day. 

The building was also home to Planet Hollywood between 1996 and 2002 when finacial difficulties bought on its closure. The blue globe remains atop the building two decades later.

1995: McDonald's proposal for Moore Park

In the mid-1990's McDonalds wanted to build a store at Moore Park (Corner of Anzac Parade & Lang Park). South Sydney council refused their development application and the burger giant took them to the NSW Land and Environment Court. This had the support of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust.

Source: Skelsey, Michael. 1995. "Council bites back at burger giant." The Daily Telegraph Mirror, July 7: 18.

There was opposition to the outlet by locals and local state MP Clover Moore (Bligh). But what happened next? It ended up going to the NSW Court of Appeal and council was reordered to assess the application because it was a park "refreshment room" (Doesn't really look like one). By 2002 no new application had been made and since then nothing.

Clover Moore who was the member for Bligh (later renamed Sydney) and current Lord Mayor of Sydney has kept a webpage with an overview of the plans if you want to read a little more. One person mentioned has landed himself in some strife lately with businessmen.

1972: Rare McDonalds Sans Souci opening advertisement

Source: McDonald's Australia. 1972. "Untitled” (Advertisement). The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader, August 2: 14.

McDonald's marketing has come a long way in Australia over the decades. Quite interesting to note in this advertisement for the opening of the McDonald's store at Sans Souci isn't dominated by the golden arches themselves (featuring only in the illustrations.

McDonald's was the "new kid on the block" in those days. They even had to explain who they were and were already claiming to be the biggest fast food chain in Australia. 20 cents got you a Big Mac and you could get fish and chips.

No breakfast menu's just yet but they did open until late 11pm or midnight depending on the night of the week.

McDonald's has shared the site with KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). A decade ago they managed to merge the site with the adjoining site of the former Post Office on Rocky Point Road and redeveloped the site. This meant the demolition of the original stores. They also swapped locations within the site. The rebuilt McDonald's also included a drive-thru service, playground and McCafe which was not available in the original store.

The current McDonalds store at Sans Souci.

 

KFC Sans Souci stands in the original carpark for the original McDonald’s Sans Souci.

Photos taken by the Author (2005).

Updated November 2018.