Second Texas Chicken to bring further 40 jobs to Rotorua

The Texas Chicken site on Te Ngae Rd may be open in October. Photo/Stephen Parker

An additional 40 jobs will be created in Rotorua with the opening of the just-announced second Texas Chicken store.

The store, on Maisey Place, Fairy Springs, will be the second in Rotorua. In June the Rotorua Daily Post announced a store would be built on Te Ngae Rd, Lynmore, by the end of the year and that too would bring 40 jobs.

The tenant, George Constantinou, said the franchise had been looking to expand from its three Auckland stores for a couple of years when they found the Rotorua site.

Constantinou said he had decided to build a second store before the first opened because he had confidence in Rotorua.

"I think the market's right for it. Rotorua is a great town and it attracts a lot of tourists as well. It's got strong population growth so we're pretty happy.

"Everything fell into place ... We're quietly confident."

A billboard on Old Taupo Rd boasts Texas Chicken coming soon. Photo/Stephen Parker

Constantinou said the Eastside store would be open in mid to late October while the Fairy Springs store would be open in December or January.

Each of the stores will hire 40 people initially and applications for jobs at the Te Ngae store should be open in the coming week, he said.

He said the Fairy Springs site was logical.

"There's a cluster of other fast food competitors. There's obviously quite a lot of passing traffic and it's quite visible as well."

The 80 jobs to be created by the franchise is the latest in a number of changes in the Rotorua hospitality scene.

They include a Good George pub being built on the corner of Te Ngae and Tarawera roads which will create 30 jobs, new owners at Picnic Cafe on Whakaue St and Sequoia Eatery and the Whakaue St Lone Star restaurant on the market.

The Texas Chicken on Maisey Pl will be open in early 2019 at the latest. Photo/Stephen Parker

Other changes in the hospitality industry in Rotorua include the opening of new bars, including Bar Code in the former Kiwi Spirit site on Arawa St and the Lincoln Bar on Fenton St in the former Fentons location.

Social Club is set to open in Rotorua at the former Lone Star site on the corner of Arawa and Amohia streets and is being run by the same owners as the successful Mount Social Club, in Mount Maunganui.

R&B Property Group is the landlord of the Texas Chicken Te Ngae Rd site and is constructing both restaurants.

Managing director Ray Cook said business confidence in the city was strong and the group was receiving a lot of inquiries and working on another development it couldn't yet make public.

"I think Rotorua, like the rest of New Zealand, is very attractive in the property development arena.

"I think Rotorua has a pretty bright future. There's always something happening."

He said he thought the reason for a number of recent developments on Te Ngae Rd was there was certainty around roading which had not previously been there.

He said having a franchise on each side of town was "book ending" the city.

Economic growth portfolio lead and acting mayor Dave Donaldson said he thought economic confidence in the city was growing.

"I think confidence is solid. Certainly in hospitality and tourism it's quite strong.

" It doesn't surprise me there's a bit of churn in hospitality sector. People are looking for new opportunities and that's quite healthy."

Donaldson said he thought business confidence was lifting across all businesses, not just hospitality.

"There's certainly an increase in cofidence eastside since the Eastern Arterial Designation was done. Investors now have confidence and certainty about where the traffic flows will go."