The Extraordinary Story of How French Workers Turned a McDonald’s Into a Food Bank
A crazy dose of inspiration!
When Macdonald’s announced in December 2019 that it would closer its branch in the 14th district of Marseille, locals were distraught. For many, it was the only place in the area to find employment, apart from the local supermarket. It was also the only place they could eat out in their impoverished neighborhood.
There are many criticisms to be made against the fast-food chain: its environmental impact, use of unhealthy ingredients in already unhealthy dishes, the fact that they market to children, the chain's role in destroying smaller businesses, etc. but one thing needs to be acknowledged: in many poor areas, Macdonald’s is the only social hub to be found.
You can go there and sit for hours without consuming, no questions asked. It’s a place where students work from when they have nowhere else to go, where job seekers can find a reliable internet connection, where elderly people can find a semblance of social life. In the Marseille suburbs, where many individuals live in cramped apartments with extended family, it is a rare space to hang out, a home away from home.
Washington Post writes that the restaurant was “the district’s de facto social center,” “a safe space, only a few…
