In a strange turn of events, townspeople in Marseille, France are demanding that a McDonald’s stay putafter the franchise owner threatened to shut it down. The French, who have been vocal in the past about their dislikefor the American fast food chain, seem like an unlikely defendant of keeping the brand afloat. But according to locals, this specific McDonald’s has becomemuch more than just a corner burger joint.
According to the U.K.’s Telegraph, the McDonald’s in question is located in Saint-Barthélémy, a northern neighborhood in Marseille with a whopping 30 percent unemployment rate. Saint-Barthélémy is also riddled with drug trafficking and gang violence. However, the neighborhood’s McDonald’s has become a safe haven for at-risk youths and those reentering society after serving time.
“There’s nothing left in areas like this and McDonald’s is a centre of community life, a place where families can sit down and relax with their kids,” former McDonald’s employee Salim Grabsi told the Telegraph. Another resident said, “My neighbors bring their grandchildren every week.”
The 77 staff members at the Saint-Barthélémy McDonald’s have teamed up with Marseille’s conservative mayor, Jean-Claude Gaudin, and the city’s socialist senator, Samia Ghali. Together, they are all disputing the legality of the franchise owner and McDonald’s France’s decision to sell.
McDonald’s France has stated that, if and when the location sells, it will be turned into a halal restaurant. Staff fear this is a false story to coverup the company’s unwillingness to give employees redundancy payouts.
les 77 salariés du McDonald’s de Saint-Barthélemy sont en plein conflit après la décision du franchisé et de McDonald’s France de céder le fonds de commerce à un mystérieux repreneur au projet jugé non fiable https://t.co/vWgvp0Izxl
— soriano (@jondalarayala) August 30, 2018
“It seems to me that a company as big as McDonald’s, which received financial help during the construction of the bypass, can make an effort in an our northern neighborhoods to stay in business and preserve jobs,” Mayor Gaudin told the New York Times.
The staff appeared in court on Monday, September 3rd, to argue that losing the McDonald’s would be detrimental to the unemployment rate. They instead propositioned the chain to be bought by new franchise owners.
The Times reports that a decision is expected to be reached on Friday.
The Saint-Barthélémy McDonald’s is not like others, its workers argue — particularly not like those in America https://t.co/1DpcW5LpZs
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) September 5, 2018
The Saint-Barthélémy McDonald’s has given so many people second chances. “We’re not here just to sell hamburgers,” Grabsi told the Times. “They’re just not recognizing what kind of people we have here.”
After this story has received so much press, we hope the court does recognize the good the McDonald’s has doneand rules to keep the good going.
