McDonald’s Responds to Concerns about Verizon Location

How did you send in your complaint? Did you use the Web form, or mail in a real letter, or…?

I want to send in a complaint too, but am not sure of the best way to do it.

I used the web form to send in the complaint.

Thanks. I just sent in an impassioned comment – we’ll see what happens.

I posted a complaint as well (posted the response in the other thread about McD’s) and just recieved a voicemail from Hector too.

Guess posting a complaint actually does get to someone. Not sure how much help a re-build will be but i guess it will at least look nicer.

I am regularly victimized by the $1 sundaes myself.

“we’ve advanced negotiations with the DC police, but so far they haven’t offered any accurate solution to this matter.”

That isn’t surprising. After being in NYC for 2 days, I’ve seen more cops than I have in 2 weeks in DC.

The funny thing is that normally I see a cop car PARKED ALMOST RIGHT OUTSIDE that McDonald’s! There’s not always a cop in it, but more often than not, there IS one parked there. It’s so disheartening that the police don’t seem to care about the situation there.

I see the police standing around (they have an amazing capacity to just ignore what is going on right around them). Has anyone else been driven crazy by the loose bricks and cement tiles outside McDonald’s? When it rains or they wash the sidewalk I always get a wet surprise when I step the wrong way. Then I think about how dirty that water outside McDonalds must be and it drives me absolutely crazy. Anything to be done about that? Maybe that is Ackridge’s turf? Or D.C.s?

This is a good start. The more letters written the better. In addition to posting your comment here, send a letter to Mr Garrido. It’s amazing what a lot of dissatified customers can do.

I just got an email alleging that they are forwarding my concerns to the area manager responsible for that franchise (I would guess Hector Garrido? We’ll see). We’ll see what happens.

I always wonder where the people live who are responsible for these buildings and businesses – like the Akridge guy who was so nonchalant at the DNA meeting about putting up the huge audio/video advertising billboards on the pagoda above Benetton….and the manager/owner of this McDonald’s. I am guessing they don’t live in DC, or at least not anywhere nearby. I feel like they would care more about what their businesses do to our neighborhood if they actually LIVED here.

They should lose the McDonalds when they renovate the Verizon Center…any place with a $1 menu is going to be a haven for the homeless. I mean Christ…there is already 2 security guards and the manager is trying to get the cops involved…what a waste of resources just so we can enjoy some of the least healthy food on the planet. How about an ethnic restaurant in that spot? The problem would simply go away.

to # 10, of course don’t know where he LIVES or where within the District he works, but they guy that called me re: my complaint on the website called from a (202) number.

DC should just raise restaurant taxes so that you can’t get a hamburger for less than $10 and the problem would simply go away.

Waitaminit. They already did that.

I agree – I would love to see that McDonald’s close down.

Anyway, in the meantime, I just got a response from Hector Garrido:

“Dear Miss [Clara Barton Dweller];

With great concern, we are aware of the situation you describe. It has been the main subject of our organization almost since we took charge of that particular store, and I can assure you the road hasn’t been easy.

Constantly, we are dealing with homeless, panhandlers and beggars in DC, discontent from the personnel who labors in that store and understandable complaints from costumers like yourself, who are feeding us with their experiences in the restaurant. It seems to all like the management has done little or nothing to control the situation, and with this I’m not trying to excuse ourselves, but to offer our deepest apologies and a window to let you appreciate what has been going on, the advances we have made so far, and the actions we are taking.

The main cause of this being the fast food restaurant more affected by this is the very low prices that attract this particular sector of the population. At the beginning, we tried to deal with the problem in the most humanly manner possible, letting any person who could afford a meal, enter the restaurant. When the situation started to get out of control, we initiated a long series of negotiations with the local police in order to help keep the neighborhood safe. These negotiations have offered no appropriate response. Meanwhile, our crew tried their best to continue to offer good quality food and tried their best to keep the place as clean and sanitary as possible, efforts that were overtaken in a matter of minutes by more beggars and homeless threatening, dirtying and destroying the place.In order to try to put a stop to all of this, we hired a security company that kept the place in order, but just while the guards were inside. The minute they were off, or absent by any chance, the situation was repeated.

This particular store is our priority right now. Yours has not been the first letter regarding this matter, and we are particularly aware of the comments on the neighborhood blog, and it’s because of the sense of community that has always characterized all of our restaurants and the standard we are used to keep in the rest of them that we are no longer taking the matter as softly. We are currently using two security companies that will offer guards 24/7, and this is only one of the actions to be taken. Our priority is to rescue this store from the hands of the people who threatens our customers and has given us such a bad reputation around the neighborhood.

With our sincere appreciation for letting us know about your experience, our deepest apologies, and the promise that the matter is under serious consideration,

Best regards,

Hector Garrido
—
Hector Garrido
Supervisor
202-330-9013
International Golden Foods, LLC
LAGW Management, LLC”

Chris, I think your argument shows a lack of understanding of the problem. The issue at hand is not that homeless people eat at the restaurant, the problem is that people panhandle inside the restaurant and create a public nuisance. They come to Mickey D’s because the management hasn’t done enough to stop them from feeling at home there. Fixing the problem doesn’t require shutting down the business.

And I don’t think PQ residents should get into the business of shutting down restaurants just because their customer base needs a dollar menu to be able to afford lunch. Not everyone (including myself) can afford lunch at Clyde’s or Rosa everyday.

Lastly, as long as there are people with money in this neighborhood there will be panhandlers. Closing Mickey D’s or any other value joint will NOT change that.

“Chris, I think your argument shows a lack of understanding of the problem. The issue at hand is not that homeless people eat at the restaurant, the problem is that people panhandle inside the restaurant and create a public nuisance.”

PQGirl, I would never suggest that the problem is that homeless people are eating Mickey D’s. Its a free country and everyone is entitled to eat wherever they want. We are quite in agreement that the problem is the harassment, not the actual consumption of grease-bomb Big-Macs

But I’m trying to look at the situation a little more holistically. Homeless people are panhandling there BECAUSE its a McDonalds. Its an environment that is convenient and comfortable for their purposes. No amount of good management, surveillance, or 24/7 police protection will change this. The minute you ease off the pressure, they will be back…as Hector Garrido confirmed in his letter. Thats my point…you don’t see a whole lot of begging going on in Clyde’s or La Tasca, and its not because they have 24/7 security in those places.

You want homeless? Build a McDonalds. You want patrons that don’t beg the other patrons for money? Build something more upscale. Enough said.

And just so you don’t think I’m being classist here: I rarely spend more than $3 or $4 for a lunch. Trader Joe’s has great healthy pre-made meals for $2.99, and I definitely don’t encounter pan handlers on my way out of the store.

So true about McDonald’s being a magnet. The one on Penn. Avenue on the Hill was the same way – a mixture of homeless and roudy teens from middle school across the street. Once McDonald’s left, the whole place quieted down.

What is it about the recently closed CVS and McDonad’s that they have annoying panhandlers, but none of the other establishments in the neighborhood have this problem.

I would like to congratulate the efforts of the active members ofg this blog. I have complained to the properietor in the past (his name is posted inside the store) and never saw results – in takes a community!

There is a Burger King on the corner of 5th and G.

And, if Giuliani doesn’t run for president maybe he can run for mayor of DC. Panhandlers have dramatically disappeared and roadside squeegee men are a thing of the past in NYC.

The problem is not just that low prices attract these people. It’s how easy it is for them to mingle with customers.

There’s nothing unique about McDonalds that makes them a magnet. Ever been hit up for money at a gas station? Inside a grocery store? At another fast-food joint?

McDonald’s is very protective about their brand. Many of the stores are company-owned. Many are not. In any case, the company and investors do not welcome this stuff going on; they know it hurts business.

Clydes and similar restaurants don’t have this problem because the panhandlers can’t mingle as well. That’s easy to do in fast food places.

Plus, in places like Clydes, they have paid staff that do nothing but attend to customers. Their margins are much higher and they can afford this. Supervisors at fast food joints have to attend to keeping the orders flowing smoothly.

I have great admiration for Hector Garrido. I can’t tell you how many times over the years that letters and emails from me have been completely ignored by major corporations. He takes his job seriously and and not taking the easy way out.

Let’s give McDonalds a chance and support them as long as they’re trying. I’m confident that they’ll eventually eradicate this problem.

I’m craving a Big Mac.

I have never had any comparable problems at the Burger King just a few blocks away, so it’s not a fast-food problem. I suspect it’s driven by McDonald’s location as much as its prices. That said, I need a once-a-week McDonald’s fix to survive eating nice, healthy meals the rest of the week, so I — like many other posters — want to see a solution that keeps McDonald’s in that location indefinitely.

unlike the others who are upset over the harassment by the homeless I am more concerned about the hang-out McDonalds has created for the loud, rude and harassing, juvies that have found haven on the 7th St strip…it begins with the Metro stop at 7th and H up to the McDonalds…

I agree, these lost adoloscents that seem to have no parental supervision are the real safety issue of our neighborhood…not the homeless. It seems like everytime I’m out in the area on a weekend night I see more of them being tossed into cop cars.

I’m not going to say whether I still work at the McDs at Verizon or if I quit – just so that I will not suffer any repercussions from this blog. But just for the sake of this conversation, I will say I quit.

Homeless people are a problem – only when there is not a security officer there. When I was posted at the McDs, the homeless “problem makers” would look in and if they saw me, they would turn and walk away. You do have some homeless that will come in and purchase food and beverages and would not cause a problem (begging, staring, shouting, etc.) but would smell bad. Unfortunately we cannot ask them to leave because of their smell. The law is the law. That’s just something we all have to deal with. All I did was enforce the 20 minute dine-in rule.

A bigger problem I saw was McDs did not want to hire us to work their store from open to close. They just wanted us for 6-7 hours which to me was ridiculous. All the “problem people” would do is come the times we weren’t there! I think the more everyone complains, the better it will get.

Another contributing factor to the smell is the soda machine area. There is a drain underneath that area that consistently brings about a foul odor. If the soda machine was moved to behind the counter – it would reduce almost all of the problems McDs has.

I liked working there. I enjoyed networking with MPD and other business people who voice their concerns to me regarding that establishment. Almost everyone said we needed to be there more often. I got alot of complaints regarding the managers. They were rude and nasty to the customers and as soon as the customers said something back to them, the manager would ask us to get the people out. How fair is that? If you can dish it, you can take it. But I had to do my job and complied with all of the requests.

I will be happy to answer any questions anyone may have. I’m glad I found this blog.

I live in Galley Place and rarely go into McDonalds because, quite frankly, it scares me. The whole area from H Street to F Street, along 7th, is outrageous for a high rent district like this. It’s embarrassing to bring anyone around here that doesn’t know the neighborhood. Someone told me that the homeless are bussed to the McDonalds, where they can then walk to Catholic Charities on 9th and G. Is this true?

Yes that is true. They are dropped off on 7th and G.

I’m fascinated by this – they “are dropped off” ? Who drops them off? Why? Do you mean they take the Metrobus, or is this a special bus? From where? How do they get back to wherever it was they were bussed from (since apparently this “bussing” to our neighborhood happens respeatedly?)?

I keep hearing that homeless people “are bussed into our neighborhood,” but always in the passive voice. I need more info on this, please! Anyone?

I’m not a McDonald’s eater myself, but have those of you who are unhappy with the Verizon center location tried either of the other two McDonald’s in the neighborhood? There’s one at 5th & E, and a new one at 6th & F. Maybe these, especially the new one, are nicer?

In response to CBD – I don’t know who busses them here, but it is my understanding it is for the soup kitchen at Catholic Charities.

The pressure should really be on the city council here to take the NYC approach – make vagrancy and loitering illegal then empower and force the police to enforce those laws. Eventually, they get the point and don’t come back. In the meantime 24/7 security at the McD’s and the Verizon center and pressure on the police to do their jobs is vital (if you see a cop/cop car and they aren’t doing anything – ask them to do something, if they don’t discretely take down the car # and file a complaint – enough complaints against individual officers and I guarentee you they’ll start doing their job). I hate to say it, but there shouldn’t be a soup kitchen in our area – should move it at least a couple blocks away or better yet closer to where the homeless are based – lower rents for the chairity, more conveniant for the homeless, and less hassle to local residents – better for everyone.

Unfortunately, up until a few years ago (or less), this area was the “some other area” that no one cared about and the homeless got bussed / pushed towards.

Each day homeless from around the District need to leave the shelters during the day so the shelters can be cleaned. During the days, homeless are provided transportation from around the city into Penn Quarter and areas nearby where there are soup kitchens and other services available. They are then returned by bus to their shelters at night. You can see the dropoff and pickup at the MLK Library each day. I encourage people to force politicians to work with private and public social services to find a better way to handle this for all involved. For example, Jack Evans is up for re-election – if he could pour the same energy into a District-wide solution for homeless/mental health as he did for the ballpark financing, we have a chance. Let him know about how this is holding back his vision of “Times Square in DC.”

Walking by the McDonald’s last night I was once again harrassed by a group of teens standing outside and heckling people (primarily women) passing by. One of them even went so far as to reach out and grab me before asking for money. There was a cop car parked outside McD’s but no cop or security guard to be found to do anything about the situation. I was just afraid that after telling them to leave me alone one of the cowards was going to pull a weapon on me.

I wish the neighbors of Penn Quarter would ban together to take neighborhood action against McD’s and these low life teens like Mt. Vernon Square residents did against Fun Fair Video. Because McD’s and the police don’t seem to care, it’s time for community action. The offenders are continuing to get more bold and abbrasive.

Speaking of the homeless. I was walking to work this morning and there was a homeless man lying on the ground facing the street masturbating for the world to see in the entrance way to the vacant chinese restaurant next to cvs. I notified a cop who was a block away but I am not sure if he did anything. It was a wonderful way to start the day.

If only this city was run like NYC. We need tougher laws, stiffer penalties and better patrols. I’m paying DC taxes for what? To pay for these people to continue to rob me of my personal security? These kids have harrassed me on several occassions and something needs to be done about it. Like rats, they infest our city and threaten public safety. A call to action is needed now!!

Well, I hope that the folks at McD-HQ take a look at what I’m reading here. It’s frustrating that things are so crummy in that place. I’m no fan of fast food, but heck, sometimes when you’re in a rush, ya gotta eatSOMETHING. My biggest gripe about this McD is that n-er do wells (and it’s not such a sure thing they are without homes), stand around and wait for the employees to call out a number, then they say “Oh that’s mine” grab it and run out the door, and customers are left without an order.

Oh, and please be careful about using the generic word “homeless” to describe creepy people. Not all homeless people are useless jerks. Don’t be afraid to call a criminal a criminal. Remember homelessness is another issue altogether.