THE fate of the iconic A&W restaurant in Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya, hangs in the balance as plans to redevelop the 0.4ha land resurfaces again and it may not be included in the new development.
While there is nothing concrete yet, land owner KUB Malaysia Bhd hopes to finalise development plans by early next year.
“We are just looking to maximise our investment and value of our developments,” said KUB group managing director and president Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Zin.
He added that the company was still in talks with development partners and had not made a decision on the development whether it should be fully commercial, mixed development or serviced apartments.
Previously, KUB had plans to build two office towers called the KUB Towers and had aimed to complete the project in 2018.
However, plans for the relocation of the A&W restaurant and construction of the new towers were called off some two years ago, not long after they were mooted.
Nearby residents as well as customers and fans flocked to the restaurant upon hearing of its impending closure.
Many were seen crowding the 24-hour fastfood outlet for their pints of rootbeer and coney dogs while reminiscing their childhood memories there.
So far no plans have been submitted to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) yet but KUB is aiming to sort out the matter by year end and get the development order by early next year.
The company also plans to get the 1:6 plot ratio and apply for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project status to fully utilise the convenience of the Taman Jaya LRT station located right beside it.
Abdul Rahim said a more detailed plan would be revealed next month during their annual general meeting.
Meanwhile, A&W Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of KUB, has plans to expand its brand and outlets nationwide.
“We have plans in place to open at least eight to 10 new outlets by end of this year to add to our current 27 outlets,” said A&W chairman Datuk Jamelah A. Bakar.
She was speaking to reporters at A&W Malaysia’s celebration, held at the drive-in restaurant in Petaling Jaya, to reward its loyal customers.
Despite plans in place to tear down the iconic landmark, the building underwent some minor renovations to beautify the interior and for general maintenance.
“We have given the place a facelift. It includes changing the furniture, upgrading the toilets and making the place brighter overall,” Jamelah added.
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