McDonald’s is planning to open its tenth restaurant in Malta in Ħaż-Żabbar, which would be its first restaurant in the south of the island. There is a catch though – the restaurant has been proposed on ODZ land, i.e. outside the development zones. 

Yet the franchise has defended its decision, arguing that there has long been a demand for a McDonald’s restaurant in the south of Malta and that the development itself will mostly just replace an existing structure. 

However, the structure in question is surrounded by trees – some of which will have to be pulled down to make place for a carpark which will accommodate 28 cars. 

“A building of over 500 square metres currently sits on the site,” said Melo Hili, chair of Malta’s McDonalds licensees Premier Capital. “Our proposal involves a smaller development: a McDonald’s restaurant of 450 square metres that will serve a catchment population in the south of Malta. Ħaż-Żabbar is an ideal location for a new McDonald’s restaurant. Our customers have long expressed their wish for a McDonald’s to open in this part of Malta.

“The proposal is that parts of the outside area will be used for parking and landscaping.”

The site of the proposed McDonald’s in Haz-Zabbar

The McDonald’s plans, first reported by Illum, also include a drive-in facility, following in the footsteps of the successful Gharghur and Luqa restaurants, as well as a terrace and an outside eating area. 

Premier Capital will first have to navigate past the Planning Authority, an obstacle it failed to overcome when its plans for a massive ODZ restaurant near the airport were rejected. 

Does Malta need a tenth McDonald’s? Let us know in the comments’ section 

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]