A McDonald’s restaurant has been forced to introduce new safety measures to protect staff from aggressive customers after a series of violent incidents.
A plexiglass security screen has been installed at the infamous 24-hour McDonald’s on King Street in Newcastle, two hours north of Sydney.
The ceiling-to-counter screen only has a small opening where food can be served, meaning staff are fully protected by the glass.
The installation of the screens follows a series of incidents at the fast food restaurant which is notorious for anti-social behaviour.
In 2019, a dozen customers were involved in a violent brawl at the restaurant, with punches and shocks thrown as terrified families watched.
Photos from inside the eatery shared on social media show the dining room tables covered in spilled drinks, empty bags and soggy fries.
The restaurant area was empty apart from two customers who seemed to have had a rather big night of sleeping in or too many burgers.
Social media users were quick to comment on the safety issues at both King St Newcastle Macca’s and its customer base.
A plexiglass security screen has been installed in a notorious 24-hour McDonald’s
The McDonald’s on King Street in Newcastle (pictured) is notorious for anti-social behavior and has been plagued by incidents over the years
“I went in there at eight in the morning and managed to leave unscathed. Too early for the junkies and dorks,” one person wrote.
“I went away from Newcastle for a while and when I got back I decided to give King Street Maccas a try, for old time’s sake,” wrote another.
“The first thing I saw when I walked in was a couple of officers conducting a police interrogation with someone over a few quarter pounders.”
‘Many workers there are traumatized. I had a brief relationship with a woman who worked there years ago and she said herself that she witnessed a person die of an overdose inside and she and the staff on another occasion saw a junkie punching another junkie in the neck stabbed and killed him.’ shared third.
‘This is one of the worst Maccas I have ever been in. It’s fucking awful, even on a Wednesday afternoon,” a fourth commented.
One Australian criticized the customers who left the restaurant in such disarray.
‘People today are so damn lazy. It only takes a few seconds of their precious personal schedule to throw trash in the trash,” they wrote.
“That’s disgraceful, I’d like to know where these people work/live and do the same in their homes,” wrote another.
A video posted to TikTok showed the horrendous state in which customers had left the restaurant
A McDonald’s spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Ensuring our restaurants are safe, welcoming places for our people and customers is a top priority for McDonald’s.
“We regularly review and implement new safety and security measures as necessary to ensure our restaurants are spaces for our people and the community to enjoy.”