KFC has been granted approval to operate its Stevenston store with extended hours, allowing drive-thru and delivery services to run until 5am. The decision was made by North Ayrshire Licensing Committee on Wednesday, following an application from Clokken Ltd on behalf of the company.
Licence Application Details
The application sought a late hours catering licence for the fast food restaurant. Michael McDougall appeared on behalf of the applicants, accompanied by Michael King, an asset protection officer with the company.
Mr McDougall told the committee that KFC operates a large number of restaurants across the UK and holds several late catering licences in Scotland. He noted that similar licences with comparable terminal hours are held elsewhere in the country without causing issues, describing the company's track record as proven.
Operating Hours and Safety Measures
Under the approved licence, the restaurant itself will close at midnight, while drive-thru and delivery services will continue operating from midnight until 5am. Mr McDougall acknowledged that this falls outside the committee's policy and requested an exception, noting that similar exceptions had been made for other establishments without objections or adverse comments.
The premises is described as a standalone building at a busy roundabout on the A78, not near any residential properties. Mr McDougall also pointed out that McDonald's across the road holds a late hours licence until 5am.
Safety measures include a 24-hour monitoring centre connection, which staff can trigger for additional support, functioning like a panic button with trained staff able to intervene over the tannoy. The site is equipped with 21 CCTV cameras both inside and out. Only the drive-thru and deliveries would operate until 5am.
Committee Decision
Cllr Cameron Inglis proposed granting the licence, seconded by Cllr Christina Larsen, and the committee agreed unanimously.
