Does Mickey Ds really want you inside now?

[SL6827]

With limited seating and it being very uncomfortable, does McDonald's really want you to dine inside any longer?

Thoughts?

 

[MrsPete]

I think the problem is that they can't get enough workers to staff the place.

We went to McD's a couple weeks ago, and we were surprised that the doors were locked -- but the drive-through was open. Since then I've been looking at various fast food places, and I've noticed this is a trend.

 

[bcla]

They’re nearly all franchises, and the franchise owner makes the decision - of course guided by local orders. I don’t know of any around here that currently allows in person dining. If customers are allowed inside to order, they have to be masked and all seating is marked as no sitting allowed. I’ve seen one that’s closed off. I’ve encountered ones where it was closed off at 5PM, and picking up a mobile order got interesting - had to give the order code at the drive thru since they had no Mobil order parking.

 

[GreatLakes]

We have had a few places around here, Panera for one, that made some locations carry out only due to staffing shortages.

That being said I read a report from an industry analyst that thinks a lot of fast food chains will move to carry out only, if not entirely at some locations, because they can cut costs in a multitude of ways. Time will tell if that business model will stick but we have a few chains around here that have always been take out only, at the very least takeout with some summer outdoor seating.

 

[RangerPooh]

I think that our local McD just reopened their lobby. Not sure if it's for dining or carry out only. Quite a few fast food places locally are still drive through only. Those who are walk in have limited to no dine in seating available.

One thing that I've pondered as I sit in drive through lines, is what has the impact been on those communities with limited car accessibility? With dining rooms closed how has their walk-up business been impacted? Not everyone has a vehicle and Uber Eats is too pricey for some. The news showed stories last year of walkers being denied drive thru access during the pandemic last year.

 

[Marrila]

I think that our local McD just reopened their lobby. Not sure if it's for dining or carry out only. Quite a few fast food places locally are still drive through only. Those who are walk in have limited to no dine in seating available.

One thing that I've pondered as I sit in drive through lines, is what has the impact been on those communities with limited car accessibility? With dining rooms closed how has their walk-up business been impacted? Not everyone has a vehicle and Uber Eats is too pricey for some. The news showed stories last year of walkers being denied drive thru access during the pandemic last year.

"Walkers" are frequently denied access at drive thru's. It is a safety hazard issue. It's not a new policy. It predates COVID.

 

[tvguy]

"Walkers" are frequently denied access at drive thru's. It is a safety hazard issue. It's not a new policy. It predates COVID.

At least with McDonalds, "walkers" can order with the app and they will bring the food out to you.

 

[bsmcneil]

Where is this? My town (IN) hasn't allowed fast food places to open their dining rooms (you can't even do mobile carryout).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Often they don't have the full staff to assist at the moment.

From the picture looks like there is seating available at multiple tables so probably not a "Don't come in" but more like "we've pre-closed these tables" and may save them time at the end of the night.

 

[soccerdad72]

No, they likely don't

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Do you know why places like McDonald's aren't finding enough workers? Because there are better paying jobs available and nobody wants to get paid $15/hour or less to deal with customers' nonsense. I don't blame them, food service is crummy work and people are getting more and more beligerant every day.

 

[tvguy]

Do you know why places like McDonald's aren't finding enough workers? Because there are better paying jobs available and nobody wants to get paid $15/hour or less to deal with customers' nonsense. I don't blame them, food service is crummy work and people are getting more and more beligerant every day.

McDonalds/Burger King here are advertising $20 an hour training wages here plus signing bonuses. So while the jobs may not be ideal, the money is getting darn close to what I was making working.

 

[bcla]

I think that our local McD just reopened their lobby. Not sure if it's for dining or carry out only. Quite a few fast food places locally are still drive through only. Those who are walk in have limited to no dine in seating available.

One thing that I've pondered as I sit in drive through lines, is what has the impact been on those communities with limited car accessibility? With dining rooms closed how has their walk-up business been impacted? Not everyone has a vehicle and Uber Eats is too pricey for some. The news showed stories last year of walkers being denied drive thru access during the pandemic last year.

All the locations in my immediate area (about four within 5 miles) installed small sliding windows in a window or glass door last year. They're surrounded by glass anyways, but I think with glass it was a lot easier to take out compared to knocking out a hole in a wall. They would have a buzzer and typically a printed menu but no prices. The customer would either need to know the prices or ask and the employee would either know it or would have to check at the register. And it got really bizarre because they didn't put any registers near the window but a good 10 feet away on a cart. Everything would need to be walked to the register but at the very least they accepted cash. If I had a deal they would have to remember the code or even took my device to the register to scan. You can see the window on the right here, and at least this location has outdoor seating.

And you mentioned Uber Eats. All the major food delivery companies (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub) work with McDonald's, and often when I'm waiting it seems that the delivery people have the highest priority. I don't know if they're willing to work with them through a small window.

 

[bcla]

Just an addendum. It was a long time since they took out that window, and I notice that it's not actually built into the door. They just open the door and the setup just blocks the door opening.

 

[sam_gordon]

I haven't checked in a while, but the McD's near my work has had their lobby closed for a long time. Wendy's has been open. Captain D's had their lobby open for a short time then closed it again.

 

[kdonnel]

Fast food lobbies have been open, closed, open, closed, repeat for a couple years now.

At least here it is all about staffing issues.

 

[BrianL]

Interestingly, the traditional McDonalds dining room was designed to not be very comfortable to encourage people to leave once they had finished their meals and not hang around. Thus you had the hard, plastic seats and somewhat loud acoustics, etc. They wanted to turn tables over more quickly. The trend though for fast food places is to become more "cafe-like" and they provide things like wi-fi, etc. that would encourage more hanging around. I may be kind of crazy, but I sort of liked the old-school style McD's!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Any time I go to a fast food place I always use the mobile app, drive through. Most dining rooms are closed (not yet the law again) but those that I see (looking through the windows as I pull in and out) that are open generally have no customers in them.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I sort of liked the old-school style McD's!

Walk up windows only old school? I do recall these for many years back in the 50's. Two walk up windows only plus there was a ledge on both sides of the restaurant to sit on. You can see those a bit here in this photo.

 

[Karin1984]

You learn something new every day. Is the name Mickey Ds a local thing in the US, or is it a common nickname?