These Nashville parents decided to take their three kids to a nearby McDonald’s to enjoy some lunch. However, their uncomfortable experience made them question whether fast-food restaurants are discouraging dine-in customers now.
In a video with over 32,000 views, TikToker Adam Lee Weber (@weber_adam_lee) sits in his car and rants about the family’s recent trip to McDonald’s. He reminisces about his own trips to McDonald’s as a child, saying, “It was an event to go” to the fast-food restaurant.
“In the early ’90s, they had a Play Place. We went. It was exciting,” he says. “The workers were all smiley and happy to see us.”
While he hoped to recreate the magic for his own three kids under 10, he says the vibe was completely different.
Why Did The Family Feel Unwelcome At McDonald’s?
First, he noticed that they had to order with the kiosk instead of a human worker.
“There’s no one at the counter. We’re sitting there waiting for our food,” he says. Then, he finally gets the attention of a worker to ask for more ketchup.
The worker looks at the family of five and only gives Weber three small packets of ketchup.
“I said, ‘Bud, come on. We got kids. I need some more,'” he recounts. The worker heads to the back and only brings out four packets.
“No personality. Just upset we’re inside,” he remarks.
The family quickly went through the packets of ketchup, and Weber got up to ask for more. He had to lean over the counter to get the attention of a worker in order to score some more.
“They were disgusted that I was even talking,” he says.
The father also noticed that the McDonald’s no longer offers self-serve fountain drinks, so you have to ask a worker to refill the beverage.
McDonald’s isn’t the only fast-food restaurant he says he felt unwelcome by. He also stopped by Taco Bell and noticed that the bathrooms were locked, and workers turned away an older woman who didn’t want to use the kiosk.
Does McDonald’s Discourage Dine-In Customers?
Many fast-food restaurants shuttered their dine-in seating during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And some customers say that the dine-in culture never bounced back.
Users on the r/McDonalds subreddit said they’ve noticed a major difference inside stores. The original poster remarked that the McDonald’s they went inside of had no music, no soda machines, no self-serve utensils or sauce, and only a few chairs.
“They make so much more money from drive-thru and delivery. They absolutely do not want you in the store,” one commenter remarked.
Another said, “A couple weeks ago I ordered a meal ‘for here.’ It’s very sterile inside and uninviting. It’s like they’re implying ‘eat here then GTFO.’ No longer a place for ‘food, folks, and fun!'”
“I went to a newer restaurant and it was terrible. The goal is to automate the food and drinks so they can hire less people. It took me 15 minutes for a Coke and fries. Automation was clearly failing at this store,” a third wrote.
Do Viewers Agree?
In the comments of Weber’s video, viewers said they’ve noticed similar bad vibes when dining in at fast food spots recently.
“It’s literally like fast food insane asylum!! no happy colors no happy people just misery and gray!” one exclaimed.
Another said they can no longer justify the price of fast food, especially with the changes to the atmosphere. They wrote, “I feel that way about a lot of fast food places. That’s why they’ve lost my business over the years. Plus the food has gone downhill and the prices have gone through the roof.”
Some suggested in-person customers may be discouraged at other retailers, not just fast food restaurants.
A commenter wrote, “It isn’t just fast food but all retail establishments. they want you to do delivery or pickup. especially grocery stores.”
“I feel that way about Walmart too. We are now in the way of their curbside collectors,” a second lamented.
@weber_adam_lee Fast food rant- they don’t want you inside. #mcdonalds #rant #fastfood #thoughts @Kendra Paige Fara
BroBible reached out to Weber via TikTok direct message and comment and to McDonald’s and Taco Bell via email for further comment. We will update the story when they reply.