By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

WENDY'S Bahamas is set to relocate its Mackey Street restaurant next month, its franchise operator telling Tribune Business "upwards" of $1.7m had been invested in the new outlet.

Terry Tsavoussis, who heads Aetos Holdings along with his brother Chris, told Tribune Business the group, which also operates the Marco's Pizza and Popeye's franchises, will in a few weeks relocate several blocks south of its current Mackey Street location.

"We're doing a relocation. The new restaurant will basically have an improved state-of-the-art kitchen and dining room. It also has an improved drive-thru for faster speed of service. It will hold three times the amount of cars that could go into the former location. This design is the first of its kind for an international Wendy's," Mr Tsavoussis said.

"Our current Mackey Street restaurant was the first Wendy's that opened in Nassau. We thought about it long and hard and when we found the property down the road we just knew that it would be more efficient, hold more cars, our speed of service would be better and the atmosphere in the restaurant world be better. It was time to do it. The current location opened in 1987 and the new location will open sometime in September."

Tsavoussis explained that he and his brother purchased the business from the late Norman Solomon in January 2005. "We purchased six locations from Mr Solomon and now 13 years later we've grown to 12 locations, ten in Nassau and two in Freeport."

He added: "We're going to close the current Mackey Street restaurant on a Sunday night in September and open the new location on Monday morning. We're going to secure all the equipment and as of right now we have no plans for the property."

Mr Tsavoussis said the restaurant currently employs 65 people and a few more jobs could be added with the new outlet.