I think part of the problem is that McDonalds, as the first big fast food outfit, put a lot of its stores into locations that were fine at the time, but now have become sketchy or decayed into ghettos. And other spots that would be safer/nicer have been occupied by other chains.
For example, McDonalds used to have a reputation as being a spot for retired/elderly to get together for breakfast and hang out. You don’t see that any more, nor in my area do you see the young families with sports team kids getting food before or after their weekend games/practices. So a lot of the customer base has gone elsewhere.
So McDonalds is kind of screwed because of the kind of crap the country has turned into.
“For example, McDonalds used to have a reputation as being a spot for retired/elderly to get together for breakfast and hang out”
They are still there in my area.
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McDonalds spent years promoting their image as “urban” (ie. black) friendly under their previous black CEO. They may have succeeded at attracting black customers, but lost more whites. Now they are like a mall that white people used to go to.
“McDonalds used to have a reputation as being a spot for retired/elderly to get together for breakfast and hang out.”
Where I live, Hardee’s and McDonalds are next door to each other. The retired Dems hang out at Hardee’s, and the retired GOPs are at McDonalds. It’s an all-morning gab-fest at both places.
McDonalds was closed for a few weeks for refurbishing. Instead of calling a temporary truce and all going to Hardee’s, the GOPs high-tailed it to a McD’s in a neighboring town. Pretty funny to stop in and listen to the discussions going on.
In my area, that would be Roy Roger's.
The fact that it's frequented by the local police (with several cruisers prominently parked outside) might have something to do with it.