Online petition generates pros and cons of a KFC for Leeton Plaza

A petition run on social media received some 500 signatures and over a hundred comments in just a week, with the community apparently divided over whether the fast food giant should open a restaurant in Leeton.

Leeton Plaza owner, Petro Brisimis, created the online petition and posted it to social media last week where it has since become the talk of the town.

"I heard there were some in the community who wanted to see a KFC go in rather than having to drive to Griffith. So I started the petition to gauge what the interest was from across the whole community," Mr Brisimis said.

"When we first brought the centre, we originally put out a question on Facebook asking what people wanted to see in town and this generated a big response. There were 250 comments and a lot of different brands mentioned, but KFC was the big one.

"This time around, views were a mixed bag. Those who support it cite they want to see variation in town and that would create jobs.

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"Others are worried about the health aspects and say another fast food restaurant isn't needed in Leeton. But a counterargument expressed in the petition is that people have the right to eat what they please.

"There was also a concern it would affect existing food operators."

Already there have been a number of new tenants moving into the plaza in recent months, and Mr Brisimis hinted the newest on the cards is an expanding Griffith eatery.

"I expect they will be locked in in the coming days but I can't elaborate too much for now," he said.

"Meantime, we take every comment regarding what brands should go in seriously. When someone says they would like to see an EB Games go in, we reach out to EB Games to investigate the possibility. We're casting our net wide.

"Overall, I expect what vacancies there are will be filled this year.

"Our experience with the Plaza has been really positive. The town has been supportive and we've noticed foot traffic is up at the given the new offerings and our market day events that help gauge the community," he said.

The Plaza's next market day will be held on Saturday April 29, from 9am until 1pm.

Those wishing to view the petition can click here .

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