Fast food restaurant KFC can now open on Sauchiehall Street until 5am after Glasgow licensing chiefs approved the move.

Post-pandemic demand for home deliveries and 4am licences for some city nightclubs were given as reasons for the change.

Alderforce SC Ltd, which runs the Sauchiehall Street premises, asked for permission to extend the opening hours, with the old late hours catering licence allowing sales from 11pm to 4am.

Under the new terms, KFC will be able to open from 11am to 4pm from Monday to Thursday and until 5am from Friday to Sunday.

Council policy states late hours catering licences won’t normally be granted beyond midnight in tenement properties — but the firm argued a 4am licence was already in place.

The policy also says licences will not generally be given beyond 4am in the city centre, but councillors approved the change after they were satisfied with a presentation from the company’s legal representative.

She said there had been “two significant changes” in the six years since the restaurant has operated on Sauchiehall Street.

“Firstly, 4am opening for night time venues in the city centre and secondly a very significant increase in home delivery since covid.”

The committee heard how 64% of the venue’s sales are from home delivery — operated by Uber Eats and Just Eat — with 18% each for dining in and takeaway.

The firm’s representative added: “It’s the applicant’s position that there is demand for services for these additional hours.”

She said between midnight and 4am are “particularly busy times”, adding there are nightclubs, open until 4am, and a casino open until 6am nearby. 

“The target market also includes taxi drivers from the nearby taxi stands, workers on night shifts in city centre locations and a significant student population in the area,” she added.

“It is important to consider that this restaurant is part of the city centre’s late night economy. It’s located in one of the busiest areas of Glasgow, where there are restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas.”

Councillors also heard how there had been no objections from the public, police or environmental health officials.