Will Warrnambool have a second KFC in 2024?

The Bird Group operations manager Craig Williams said some initial earth works had been done on the city's infamous stonehenge block in west Warrnambool.

The group bought the site in March last year.

Mr Williams said he hoped the group would be focusing on drafting a proposal to put to the Warrnambool City Council for a store at the site in the coming months.

"I'd love to have a second store open in Warrnambool by the end of 2023 or early 2024," Mr Williams said.

"That has been our focus for the last half a dozen years."

Mr Williams said the group had been focused on its new store in Stawell in recent months.

It opened in December but was operating at reduced trading.

However, Mr Williams said it was now operating at full capacity.

He said this meant the focus would now return to a second KFC for Warrnambool.

"Our next development that we will be focusing on is a second store for Warrnambool," Mr Williams said.

The group had planned to open a second store on Mortlake Road, but this proposal was rejected by city councillors.

Cr Angie Paspaliaris said at the time while new business was "very much welcome" in the city, busy Mortlake Road was not the right location for another KFC.

"I think the entire area would be very much negatively impacted upon by this type of convenience restaurant," she said.

Cr Debbie Arnott said she was very concerned about the traffic flow and the amount of congestion.

"I think we are all aware of just how large the queues can get around KFC," she said. "I'm all for the refusal of the application."

Cr Ben Blain said the issues raised had been addressed in the officers' recommendations.

"As long as they can fit in and meet the planning requirements of this I don't see why we should be going against it and discouraging a business from opening up in Warrnambool," he said.

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