McDonald’s To Franchisees: Close Indoor Dining Again

August 30, 2021 Business, Coronavirus

Some U.S. fast-food restaurants are closing indoor seating areas or limiting hours of operation because of the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, according to franchisees. McDonald’s Corp. had temporarily closed indoor dining at nearly all U.S. locations in early 2020, but it reopened 70% by last month.

In Wednesday’s conference call, McDonald’s executives recommended franchisees consider closing indoor seating in counties where COVID cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people on a rolling three-week average.

Drive-thru, carry-out and delivery helped fast-food sales rise this year despite shuttered dining rooms. But franchisees told Reuters that sales went up further when indoor seating reopened.

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McDonald’s and other fast-food chains are considering closing indoor seating again due to Covid. https://t.co/A8Rsjc8KYX

— Timothy Aeppel (@TimAeppel) August 30, 2021