By ANNA USHER

Mosman Collective can reveal the new McDonald’s going up in the heart of Crows Nest will be owned and run by Bernard Kelly, who already holds six stores from Victoria Cross to Gordon and employs more than 650 people.

Several of those stores, at Victoria Cross, St Leonards and two in Chatswood, sit minutes from the new site, and Kelly will add Crows Nest and Chatswood East to his run. He started on the crew nearly 30 years ago and worked his way up to licensee.

Construction is now underway at 31 Willoughby Rd, the old Westpac building on the corner of Burlington St, where McDonald’s says the $5 million build will create more than 180 jobs and open before the end of the year.

The store locals thought they’d killed

Locals fought the plan hard, and for a while they won. Mosman Collective revealed in June that Maccas would open after all, using a Complying Development Certificate, a private fast-track approval that skips North Sydney Council and shuts out every objection.

It was the second time we broke the story. McDonald’s first chased the corner in May 2025 with a 24/7 plan, nearly 700 people signed a petition and about 70 lodged formal objections with the council.

The chain withdrew that application on 26 August 2025, a week before the council’s independent planning panel was due to rule on it. The CDC brought it straight back, and this time there was no vote to lose.

What’s coming to Willoughby Rd

“We are excited to start construction on a new restaurant in Crows Nest and create over 100 jobs during construction and over 80 jobs once the restaurant is open,” Mr Kelly said in the announcement.

“Macca’s Crows Nest is committed to playing an active role in the local community through providing jobs, training and development opportunities, as well as supporting local causes and groups that are important to our customers and people.”

The restaurant will trade from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 7am to 8pm on Sundays and public holidays. The plans show no drive-thru, no car parking and no public toilet, with customers ordering at self-service kiosks or the front counter, next to a McCafe and a modern fit-out.

McDonald’s is hiring crew, baristas, managers and maintenance staff across its nearby stores now. Locals can apply at careers.mcdonalds.com.au Maccas Crows Nest is set to open before the end of 2026.

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