DAN CEARNS The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: The Town of Lindsay has recently received a second McDonald's restaurant.
Neal and Tanvi Bhatt have decided to expand the franchise's footprint in the community, bringing in more jobs for local community members.
The new restaurant, located at the corner of Angeline Street and Highway 7, held a soft opening on Monday, December 30th.
"We're growing in our community. It's about growth and servicing our wider audience. Our current location in Lindsay has been around for almost 50 years. This is our time to expand with a second McDonald's," Neal said. "Lindsay has grown around us, and it's time to have that second location."
He also wanted to point out that despite being a worldwide franchise, McDonald's in Lindsay is still a community business.
"We might be a big brand, but we're a small business in a community, employing hundreds of people."
Neal noted the new location has hired close to 100 people and the owners have used a number of local vendors when they were building their new franchise.
"We're just trying to support and put the money back in the community, or just go nearby instead of a vendor in Toronto, for example. Our talent is all local, and we try to keep the money local wherever we possibly can," he said.
He then stressed the importance and impact of hiring local people to work at their restaurant.
"This is 100 jobs where I'm gonna say, most live in the town of Lindsay, and then that money gets spent in the community."
The owners, who have owned the franchise since 2023, have taken part in community events like the tree lighting ceremony, Classics on Kent car show and the Santa Claus parade. They have supported organizations like Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Kawartha Lakes-Haliburton and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes, also known as BGC Kawarthas.
"We support the community, and when we build a new restaurant, we just keep supporting the community," Neal said.
Tanvi noted the owners are active in the Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce, and pointed out there are similar job numbers at their current Kent Street location. The local owners are hopeful they can do even more charitably now that they have a second restaurant.
The Lindsay Chamber's Executive Director, Terry Guiel, applauded the decision to open a second restaurant. "Our Lindsay and District Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to see one of our members open a second location in our community. This says something very positive about the economic health of Lindsay. But even more rewarding for our community is how owners Tanvi and Neal Bhatt are dedicated to supporting the community with a hands-on approach. They are always asking what they can do. That's refreshing from a major brand. That hyper-focus on our charitable, non-profit and local organizations makes them uniquely special. We are most fortunate to have them here, and I look forward to working with them more in the future," he said.
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