A series of fast-food restaurants have made it clear that they want customers out the door as soon as they drink the last drop from their Coca-Cola cups, as indicated by signs placed outside of some locations, which went viral on Reddit.
One of them, from Wendy’s, reads, “No Loitering or Solicitation.” The restaurant then informs customers that their time to eat food inside is limited to 30 minutes.
- Fast-food chains are enforcing 30-minute eating time limits for customers.
- Wendy’s and McDonald’s are among those with noticeable “No Loitering” signs.
- Reddit users speculate the rule targets teens, the homeless, and students looking for free wifi.
A McDonald’s location had a similar sign that said “No loitering please” in red letters, warning clients that their children might not have enough time to eat their burgers and play with their Happy Meal toys.
A sign placed outside of a Wendy’s restaurant caught people’s attention, as they began to speculate why customers were only allowed 30 minutes to eat
Image credits: r/wendys
After seeing the photos of the signs, people began speculating about the reason for enforcing such a restrictive time limit, with many users sharing their experiences at their local fast-food chains.
“Yeah, there are 30-minute limits here in Denver at McDonald’s,” someone wrote.
Another Reddit user shared, “Also here in Columbus. In fact, I think most McD’s have that sign around here now. I’ve never seen it strictly enforced, though.”
“I’m guessing it’s a location in a busy area where people use the dining room to crash for a while and make use of the climate-controlled shelter,” someone suggested, while another person added, “Also, free wifi.”
Similar signs, which read “No loitering please,” were seen outside McDonald’s locations
Image credits: r/mildlyinteresting
Image credits: r/mildlyinteresting
Another Redditor echoed this view, attributing the rule to the food chains‘ focus on profitability.
“Probably aimed at the person who orders one thing off the dollar menu and a fountain drink and then proceeds to stay for 4 hours,” they said.
A separate commentator who worked as a manager at McDonald’s shed light on the situation, explaining the restaurant received multiple people who stayed for long periods of time.
They wrote: “There was this one guy, probably in his 30s, clearly special needs, he’d hang around literally all day, just get a drink, play on his phone or just sit there. I felt bad for the guy.”
They also explained that the sign is likely targeted at teenagers, as it was common for unruly teens to stay at the restaurant “for no good reason” and make “a huge mess.”
Students, unruly teenagers, and homeless people were believed to be the reason for the fast-food chains imposing the rule
Image credits: Pexels/Stiven Rivera
Additionally, Reddit users pointed out that the rule may be a measure to limit the number of homeless individuals who stay at the restaurants.
“It’s aimed at homeless people. I’ve been in there before when it’s been empty, and they asked a guy to leave because he was sleeping on a seat. He wasn’t bothering anyone,” someone shared.
But rushed dining experiences at fast-food chains are not new. Ten years ago, the New York Times reported that a McDonald’s in Flushing, Queens, USA, called the police to ask a group of Korean elders to leave.
The friends, who regularly met at the restaurant for long hours, had overstayed their welcome, not paying attention to a sign that said customers only had 20 minutes to finish their meals.
“Do you think you can drink a large coffee within 20 minutes?” 77-year-old David Choi, one of the friends, asked. “No, it’s impossible.”