Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, McDonald's is definitely the biggest fast food chain across the world. They were one of the only restaurants that remained open throughout the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, which definitely caused its own fair share of controversy, but now the popular eatery is doing something that many working to end the spread of coronavirus will gladly appreciate.
Much like a lot of other dine-in eateries, McDonald's has closed off their seating area either completely or extremely limited to delivery personnel only like the location in Aylesbury, United Kingdom seen above. According to NPR, Mickey D's will take things a step further and require all customers to wear a face mask beginning next Saturday (Aug 1). Due to the ongoing debate between those who gladly wear their masks and those who refuse to wear one, employees will also be given "de-escalation training" in order to deal with the latter group in a respectful-yet-speedy conduct. A rep for McDonald's told NPR via email that anyone who comes into a restaurant not wearing a mask will be offered one, with refusal to wear it resulting in "a designated pick-up spot a safe distance from other customers."
The official statement released by President of McDonald's USA Joe Erlinger and National Franchise Leadership Alliance Chair Mark Salebra also addresses when the restaurant's dining areas will open back up. See below for their response:
Finally, to further our efforts to slow the surge in COVID-19 cases and protect restaurant teams and customers, we will extend our pause on re-opening dining rooms for another 30 days. This means we will not approve the re-opening of any additional dining rooms. Locally, any dining room roll back decisions should be guided by state and local guidance. This continues to be an owner/operator-led decision, but we ask that you consult with your Operations Officer and Franchise Business Partner.
Read McDonald's new U.S. COVID-19 Safety Precautions in its entirety by clicking here. Eat good but also stay safe out here, y'all.