KFC Wright. Photo: Our Molonglo Valley, Facebook.
Molonglo Valley residents will finally get their own KFC on 7 October – nearly five years after the ACT Government knocked back original plans for a larger outlet.
The new fast-food restaurant will open a shopfront on the ground floor of the Koko Molonglo building on Steve Irwin Avenue, Wright, with the fit-out expected to finish this week.
But don’t expect a drive-thru.
Back in 2019, the developer faced intense community backlash over plans for a bigger KFC with a drive-thru, located opposite a children’s playground and near Charles Weston School.
The proposal also included 292 square metres of floor space, 16 illuminated signs, and an 8.5-metre-high pylon topped with a KFC bucket.
“I really don’t think they’ve put much thought into this,” Wright resident and Molonglo Valley Community Forum convenor Ryan Hemsley said at the time.
“Just look at where they’ve put it — near the park, pedestrian paths and the school. There are people in the park and walking to the bus stop … the traffic management is a mess. There’s no safe way as a pedestrian to access the KFC.”
The 2019 plan included 18 car parking spaces, one accessible space, a loading dock, a two-lane drive-thru, and a bike rack, but no pedestrian crossings.
Residents also voiced concerns on the local Facebook group Our Molonglo Valley about litter and smells.
“I don’t want my suburb to end up like Woden,” one comment read. “We are not an industrial park. It feels as though the suburb is becoming trashy.”
Another added, “I think this will only serve to cheapen the look of the suburb further and put off other businesses from locating there. What the hell is happening to this area?”
KFC Wright began hiring in early August. Photo: Our Molonglo Valley, Facebook.
Ultimately, the government’s planning authority rejected the plans, citing concerns about traffic, poor pedestrian access, and inadequate landscaping.
“The application fails to demonstrate how the proposed development creates an efficient urban environment and how it makes a positive contribution to the neighbourhood and landscape character of the area,” the decision notice stated.
“The proposal also fails to present a high-quality interface, clear connections to a wider open space and pedestrian networks, contributing to a low-quality public realm.”
Fast forward to 2025, and the scaled-back KFC appears to have far more support. Social media reactions are mixed, but largely enthusiastic.
“There goes the summer bod,” one resident joked.
“I’m now set, I don’t need to leave,” wrote another.
Others were still cautious about potential smells, but most welcomed the convenience. “Yes, please! I want a Zinger!” one Facebook comment read.
Mr Hemsley, however, said traffic remains a problem.
“The drive-through may be dead, but the traffic issues in and around Koko Molonglo continue to be a problem,” he told Region.
“Half the area remains a construction site with key footpaths fenced off. This is making access into and within the site needlessly dangerous. The City and Environment Directorate are asleep at the wheel here. Something needs to be done to resolve these issues before there’s a serious injury.”
Koko Molonglo also houses a Woolworths Metro and an ALDI. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
The new KFC will join other tenants on the ground floor of Koko Molonglo, including Woolworths Metro, ALDI, BWS, a chemist, a barber, cafés, a Turkish takeaway, an Indian grocer, a laundromat, and a dentist.
The eight-storey Koko Molonglo development also comprises 158 residential units, a 100-room hotel, a rooftop garden and a lap pool.
Until now, the nearest KFC for Molonglo Valley residents has been at 48 Botany Street, Phillip.
With the new shop opening, residents will have all the same Zingers, buckets and fries on their doorstep – they’ll just have to walk for it.
