Local businesses say they are preparing to close their doors if a proposal to bring McDonald's to a bustling street in Sydney's Inner West gets the green light.
McDonald's Australia has lodged an application with the City of Sydney to build a $1.7 million restaurant at 212-214 King Street in Newtown.
Under the plan, it would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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King Street already has six chicken shops within a roughly 170-metre radius — KFC, Broaster Chicken, El Jannah Chicken, Gami Chicken, Ogalo Newtown, and Clem's.
And for some of those businesses, they say a McDonald's would be the final nail in the coffin.
MD Ruben has owned Broaster Chicken for five years and has recently been struggling with losing customers to KFC.
He said he does not stand a chance if McDonald's — which made $US14.6 billion ($22.4 billion) in the year to March globally and has 1050 restaurants across Australia — opens up.
"I know it's going to be a disaster. I don't think that small business can survive," he told 9news.com.au.
Ruben said he would have to pack up and move shop, and has already begun speaking with the franchise office and his lawyers.
"If McDonald's is coming, we might need to run off," he said.
"It's just literally in front of me, the other side of the road, and probably they try to open 24/7.
"There's no point to stay here and wasting all the time and fighting against McDonald's."
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Razwan Raza, who has owned and managed Ogalo Newtown with his family for almost 10 years, says he will also be forced to sell and chase cheaper operating costs in Melbourne if the plan is approved.
"If the small businesses come, there is healthy competition. We can compete with them," he said.
"But if the big company comes, we can't compete. Their marketing strategies, their wages."
Raza's high monthly rent of $12,000, utility bills and council rates have left him and his family making only their wages.
If McDonald's opens up, he said he could become bankrupt if he doesn't sell Ogalo.
"Right now we are just earning our wages, and we are happy with this, because for the nine to 10 years, we [have been] working in the same place," he said.
"If McDonald's comes, definitely our turnover will decrease, and we can't even pay our wages out of this."
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Local residents are campaigning against the McDonald's proposal, with an online petition already gaining 770 signatories at the time of publication.
The City of Sydney has notified residents and property owners and is accepting feedback on the proposal until August 7.
McDonald's Australia said it was "excited by the possibility of joining the Newtown community" and becoming a potential "local employer".
"We are committed to engaging with councils and communities to ensure we're listening to feedback and submitting development applications for restaurants that are thoughtfully designed for the community," McDonald's Australia said in a statement.
"A new Macca's in Newtown represents an investment of around $2 million and will mean more than 100 new local jobs and more support for local community groups in the area."
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McDonald's proposal to bring a 24/7 restaurant to nearby Redfern was unanimously knocked back by the City of Sydney in May.
The community feared it would bring crime to the area, with an overwhelming majority of submissions from the public being against the plan.
Down south in Melbourne, residents are in a similar fight against a plan for a 24/7 McDonald's in what could be the city's equivalent to Sydney's King Street.
An application was submitted to open a restaurant on 323 High Street in Northcote.
Currently, there are active petitions against new McDonald's restaurants in Newtown, Northcote, Manly Vale, Kalamunda and Mount Evelyn.
Residents won their fight against a McDonald's in Redfern in May, while locals lost their battle against a McDonald's in Safety Beach last week.
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