Logo

Logo

Staff, customers shell-shocked by McD outlets’ closure

The sudden closure of as many as 40 McDonald's outlets across the Capital has left many employees working with the…

Staff, customers shell-shocked by McD outlets’ closure

(Photo: Subrata Dutta)

The sudden closure of as many as 40 McDonald's outlets across the Capital has left many employees working with the restaurant chain shell-shocked. The restaurant industry in Delhi was stunned by the decision of the company which has a strong base of loyal customers.

 A manager at one of the outlets told The Statesman, "The decision is temporary and the restaurants will open soon. All the jobs are safe and the company is considering offering compensation to our employees for the days the restaurants will remain closed."

 Another employee at the Connaught Place outlet, infuriated with the sudden closure of his restaurant without any notification, expressed helplessness. He said, "We were working the day before just as usual. If I had 1 per cent inkling that this would happen I would have been knocking at the doors of other restaurants for a job. You don't expect such unprofessional behavior from big companies like McDonald's. I am hoping my outlet will reopen so that we employees get to work. Otherwise life is going to be very tough for people like us who get minimum wages."

Advertisement

The sudden declaration of a shutdown also did not go well with its loyal customers. "Who would have thought of this? I used to think McD is still ruling the industry but with today's decision I am in serious doubt that I will get some my favorite stuff like McPuff, McAloo Tiki and extra cheese burgers from McDonald's for too long," said Siddharth Dutt of Kalkaji Extension.

However, Siddharth's best friend Lakshay Agarwal said he knew it was coming. He said, "With the tough competition in the market and with brands like Burger King, Dominos, BBQ, KFC, etc., coming in, I never considered McD to be the dark horse. Their quality of bread is the same and they were sticking with the same recipes of burger with nothing new in store. How can a McPuff save a company from drowning?"

 Contradicting Lakshay's idea about McDonald's, his friend Ritu Daswani, 24, working in Wipro, said McDonald's was one of the first food chains introduced in India and will always remain a favourite.

 "How can you ditch McD? They still offer food for a reasonable price and it should remain as it is. Also I love their logo which is the best. The company should resolve their issues and come up with new ideas to tackle the losses or whatever is troubling them," she said.

 Madhu, 21, an aspiring entrepreneur, told The Statesman: "Loss and tussle between partners are all part of business and McD has a brand value which is very strong in India and Delhi. People will start craving for it, despite having so many options. At least the company's officials should clear the air.

Advertisement