A NEW American fast-food drive-thru at an Essex leisure park is set to open in November reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
The new Wendy’s restaurant is set to create around 40 jobs at the Festival Leisure Park, Basildon. Construction is well underway on the new drive-thru, with hoardings around the site, but works on the exterior are nearly complete.
There is also a Costa Coffee drive-thru being built next to the new fast food restaurant. The external work for the coffee shop is complete, but the interior is empty. The leisure park also offers a number of businesses, including Nando’s, Cineworld and Wings Stop. The two chains won planning permission from Basildon District Council last year to remove a block of parking spaces next to Pizza Hut at Festival Leisure Park.
The plans include the loss of 98 spaces, with 64 spaces being kept for the new drive-thrus. The new Costa Coffee has been delayed after bosses previously stated they aimed for an Easter 2025 opening, but it is clear that work still has a considerable way to go. There are also Wendy’s restaurants in Colchester, Chelmsford and Southend.
Andy Barnes, leader of the Basildon Conservatives, welcomed the progress for the new Wendy’s. He said: “It is good to see new employment opportunities opening up in the borough. The festival leisure park is a real asset to Basildon and I’m sure Wendy’s will be a success.”
A spokesman for Wendy’s said: “The restaurant in Basildon should open in November, with an exact opening date being determined as the construction process gets further along. We can also confirm that the franchise is currently recruiting for the restaurant team. In the meantime, the new branch will aim to create around 30 to 40 new jobs.”
Costa Coffee was contacted for comment for an update.
