Infamously named one of the worst McDonald’s restaurants in the world, located in Canada, is closing its doors after nearly 40 years in business. The Daily Star said that the Canadian eatery on Rideau Street in Ottawa is getting bad press for the wrong reasons. Racoon clashes, brawls, and violent outbursts that occurred immediately have all been reported over the years. The franchise thus made the decision not to extend the lease on the building. It was also mentioned in the news that they will formally close their doors in April 2023.
After a customer pulled a newborn racoon out of his clothing during a fight, the McDonald’s brunch, which first debuted in 1985, went viral in 2013. According to The Mirror, there were over 800 police callouts to the McDonald’s restaurant in a single year, including a complaint about the raccoon battle. According to The Mirror, in 2015, another video of a large brawl spread like wildfire online. Since then, the restaurant has opted to limit its takeaway business to only 6 am to 10 pm instead of operating around the clock.
According to a story on Metro.co.uk, the police chief of Ottawa claimed the chain store has been a source of commotion and alarm. About 900 calls were made to them in 2018 about the same subject. In a letter to McDonald’s Canada’s president and chief executive officer, the police chief expressed his concerns about the “ongoing criminal activities and social disruption.”
According to Peter Crosthwaite, the building’s owner, who spoke further about the decision to shutter the store, it was not made just because of the violence that has been occurring there. Crosthwaite claimed that the shutdown was also brought on by the city’s subway system, which “tore up Rideau Street,” a pandemic, and a few other things.
