The franchise has also registered a site in Kelso to partner with the DoorDash food delivery service, and until yesterday, had online job listings for a site at 16 Ingersole Drive, Kelso.

Oporto was "effectively confirmed" for Bathurst in December last year when The Gateway sales and leasing agent Steve Burke revealed talks had significantly progressed.

"The Oporto board's agreed to terms, so we are just waiting for the lease to be signed," Mr Burke said.

Two businesses have opened their doors in The Gateway development zone as of June 2021: Imagine Childcare and a Metro Petroleum service station.

Bathurst's second KFC outlet has also been approved for development at The Gateway.

Curiously, a profile under the 'Oporto Kelso' name has surfaced on Facebook, further suggesting the franchise's imminent launch in Bathurst.

The Western Advocate contacted the Oporto Kelso page for comment, but received no response.

Oporto currently has 177 locations across Australia, with nearly 100 in the Greater Sydney area alone.

The first Oporto restaurant opened in the coastal Sydney suburb of North Bondi in 1986, and officially became a franchise in 1995.

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