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Planning Board approves Wingstop special permit at Broadway Plaza
Summary
The Malden Planning Board unanimously approved a special permit allowing a Wingstop franchise to occupy a former GameStop space at 44 Broadway (Broadway Plaza), with conditions addressing site plans, trash removal, snow/tree maintenance, privacy screening and bicycle parking; staff noted a parking deficiency under current standards.
The Malden Planning Board voted unanimously on May 13 to grant a special permit for a Wingstop franchise to operate at 44 Broadway in Broadway Plaza.
Attorney Patrick McDonald represented Malden Minute Man Wings LLC (d/b/a Wingstop) and described plans to convert the vacant GameStop storefront into a 20-seat restaurant focused on takeout and delivery, with hours proposed at 10:30 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Company representatives told the board they expect 20 to 25 employees overall with 6–7 on-site at busier times and that roughly 92% of transactions are anticipated to be takeout or delivery.
McDonald said the franchise will store grease indoors, install a grease trap as required, and use a third-party service to remove and recycle cooking oil on a semi-weekly basis. He said deliveries of product would be scheduled in off-hours and that the business will rely heavily on third-party delivery platforms.
"The plans do indicate a 20-seat restaurant," McDonald said, adding that most business is takeout and that the operator will manage delivery-driver behavior and report violators to the delivery companies.
Planning staff presented a May 13 report noting that the site lies in the Highway Business zoning district and that restaurant uses require a special permit. Michelle Romero summarized site factors and said the proposal increases the restaurant parking requirement to 33 spaces and, in staff calculations reflected in the record, "increases the deficiency from 120 spaces to 42." The report recommended approval with conditions addressing final plans, snow and landscaping maintenance, privacy screening, bicycle parking, and property-owner responsibility for trash and site management.
Board members asked how delivery drivers would be prevented from blocking fire lanes and whether garbage and grease removal would be handled appropriately. WS Development, the property owner’s representative, noted there are loading zones and that the owner is addressing marking and enforcement in the fire-lane areas; a Wingstop operations representative said the business would manage drivers and bar repeat offenders from visiting the site.
Ken Antinucci moved to grant the special permit with the staff conditions; Maria Schroeder seconded the motion. The roll-call vote was recorded as yes from Ken Antinucci, Diane Chua, Toad Gber Salasi, Maria Schroeder, Stephanie Stone and Chair Chuck Ivan; the motion carried unanimously.
The decision includes the staff-recommended conditions and notes that any future zoning amendments that convert restaurant uses to a right would be addressed administratively by the building commissioner.
