A McDonald’s restaurant displayed a similar notice that read “No loitering please” in red letters, alerting customers that their children might not have enough time to eat their burgers and play with their Happy Meal toys.
A sign outside a Wendy’s restaurant attracted people’s attention, and they began to guess why customers were only permitted 30 minutes to eat.
After seeing images of the posters, people began to speculate about why such a stringent time limit was imposed, with many users sharing their experiences at local fast-food restaurants.
“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, reading “No loitering please,” were observed outside McDonald’s stores.
Another Redditor agreed, attributing the rule to the restaurant chain’s emphasis 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 went on to say.
A separate observer who worked as a manager at McDonald’s added light on the situation, noting that the shop attracted a large number of customers who lingered for extended periods of time.
They wrote: “There was this one guy, perhaps in his 30s, clearly special needs, who would hang out literally all day, just getting a drink, playing on his phone, or simply sitting there. I felt sorry for the guy.
Students, disruptive youths, and homeless individuals were thought to be the reason why fast-food businesses imposed the prohibition.
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.
