Photo courtesy of Kalki Legesse

Students cite that one of the most appetizing factors of McDonald’s is not just the food; the proximity is also a popular component in making it a favorite location. “Everyone goes there since it’s so close and cheap,” said junior Hannah Armah.

McDonald’s, a frequent hangout spot for WS students, has implemented a 30 minute time restriction in their seating areas, removing students’ ability to lounge there after school.
For some students, the facility has become the perfect destination to partake in activities that would not be acceptable in a school setting. Students take advantage of the less-restrictive environment of the fast food restaurant.
“There is always a fight happening in McDonald’s. It’s like a fighting ring,” said junior Jina Cha.
Fights have occurred between students attempting to solve a dispute, competing with their friends, or just for fun.
“I remember fights happening in McDonald’s ever since I was in seventh grade. I’m graduating this year and the craziest fights I’ve seen have been at McDonald’s,” said senior Koli Anteneh.
These fights have resulted in countless police phone calls because of the disruption they cause with other customers.
“Almost every time I’ve been in McDonald’s, police are called, threatened to be called, or we get kicked out by employees because of our behavior,” said junior Christian Tegenu.
Regarding the popularity of McDonald’s for WS students, employees are not too keen on their workplace becoming a typical hangout spot. The constant chaos of the restaurant due to students’ actions have forced employees to rethink the rules of their restaurant.
“We had to implement the 30 minute seating policy because of students who would spend hours at McDonald’s without purchasing food. It hurts our customers to have seats taken up by people who would not buy anything,” said a McDonald’s employee who wished to remain anonymous.
The limited seating at McDonald’s leaves customers and students to share a seemingly small, common area. Paying customers are left at an inconvenience when they obtain their food, but are left with nowhere to eat it. This problem, however, does not entirely lie with the seating.
“Staff was constantly forced to clean up food messes, trash, and even a broken changing table. I called the police on multiple occasions and banned more than 20 students,” said the McDonald’s employee.
Destruction of property is a common occurrence in McDonald’s as seen with broken chairs, broken equipment, and vandalization. While many consider this disrespect as innocent fun, the employees who deal with it afterwards have had enough. Students have also spoken out about how McDonald’s is treated.
“Honestly, sometimes I feel bad for the workers that have to deal with us, but they do choose to work there and gain money from it,” said senior Quinn Fineman.
Due to its location and affordability, this favored establishment is home to both great and questionable memories for all students who frequently visit.
“One time, a homeless man banged on the window and licked it while keeping eye contact with my friends and me. It was really weird, but funny,” said junior Erica Taboh.
McDonald’s has facilitated odd interactions with students and the unhoused population around the area, resulting in multiple stories about them from students.
“I used to talk to this homeless guy for hours whenever I saw him at McDonald’s. He was addicted to drugs and I felt pretty bad for him. Whenever I had money, I would buy him chicken nuggets,” said Anteneh.
These conversations between unhoused people and students have given more insight into the lives of others.
“There would always be homeless people coming in and talking to us. Some of them were nice, but lots of them were pretty weird,” said junior Janirah Scott.
Despite this new policy, students still feel attached to the restaurant and hold onto the experiences they’ve had at McDonald’s.
“I spend so much time in McDonalds, I should be allowed to live there,” said Fineman.