Drug deals to 800 SOS call in a year: World's worst McDonald's to shut down
1 min read . Updated: 23 Jan 2023, 06:49 PM IST
PremiumThe infamous eatery in Ottawa, Canada, has grabbed the headlines for various reasons including drug deals to sexual activities near the toilets.
The ‘world’s worst McDonald’s’ is finally shutting shop after 38 years as the owner of the building has refused to renew the lease. The infamous eatery in Ottawa, Canada, has grabbed the headlines for various reasons including drug deals to sexual activities near the toilets.
As per reports, in 2013, a video went viral that showed a man pulling out a raccoon from his sweater amidst a brawl inside the restaurant. In another incident, a video went viral in 2018 that showed three men hitting each other with floor signboards. The clip was titled ‘Legendary Rideau McDonald’s’. In fact, in 2018, the outlet reportedly made 800 emergency calls.
In social media channels also the restaurant received very bad reviews. On TripAdvisor, one referred to the eatery as "vomit-inducing and dangerous". Meanwhile, on Reddit, a former manager claimed that customers even made death threats to staff.
Later police chief Charles Bordeleau stepped in and sent a letter to the president and CEO of McDonald's Canada raising concerns over the "criminal activity and social disorder" at the Rideau branch. Following this, the operating time for the outlet was restricted to 6 am to 10 pm, with only takeaway. The action, however, led to sharp drop in revenue.
Recently, the owner of the building Peter Crosthwaite told CTV News that the outlet will officially close in April 2023 as it has decided not to renew the lease. The space will be available for rent from July. He also communicated that the pandemic, freedom rallies and a new subway, which destroyed Rideau street, also contributed to the woes of the restaurant.