

Two high-profile burger chains are racing to finish construction along Hamilton's fast food alley in time for their debut opening in the city mid-year.

Come June, Carl's Jr. and Wendy's are due to get grilling on Greenwood Street alongside fast food competitors McDonalds, Burger King and KFC in the Frankton suburb.

And in true burger wars style it's a race to see who will be the first to open their doors.

Carl's Jr. representatives have been quiet about plans for a Hamilton store but have confirmed that NZX-listed parent company Restaurant Brands is aiming to open the first franchise in the city in June if all goes well.

Despite only receiving a building consent earlier this year, the Carl's Jr construction team seem to have the jump on the long awaited Wendy's store - the building frame is going up at the site while the Wendy's location looks as though it has only laid its foundations on the corner of Greenwood St and Killarney Rd.

Wendy's first Waikato burger joint has been in the works for over a year while Restaurant Brands only officially confirmed the Waikato Carl's Jr store this week.

Wendy's chief executive Danielle Lendich confirmed that three managerial staff have been hired for the restaurant and are in training ahead of a mid-June opening.

Other management positions will filled in the next few weeks and a full crew will be recruited for in May.

Lendich said the company will take on more than 100 staff between the Greenwood St Store and a Te Rapa Rd store set to open in August while Carl's Jr. general manager Craig Neal said his site would create about 70 new jobs.

Wendy's is yet to lodge for building consent for the Te Rapa Rd site as engineering reports need to be finished but Lendich said the completion date of mid-August is still likely.