Case Study:
MCDONALDS: How Many Minutes Does It Take To Eat A Happy Meal?
(adapted from an article from Santa Clara University)
A New York City McDonald's has walked into a firestorm, as the leaders in the local borough's Korean community are calling for a national boycott of the fast food chain. For some time now, elders in the Korean community have frequented a particular McDonald's daily, arriving at 5 AM and staying nearly until closing.
Often, each person buys no more than a cup of coffee, thereby spending approximately $1.09. On some days, the group will merely split a small packet of fries among them. The store manager first posted a "20-minute time limit" sign above the tables; however, when the group refused to leave, the manager called the police to escort the elderly patrons out.
The store management has defended its decision to solicit police intervention by contending that the elders were driving away business. Korean community leaders understand the business concern but argue that business interests must be superseded by the respect due elders in Korean communities.
1. Is it reasonable to limit the amount of time customers sit in a restaurant?
2. Is McDonald's obligated to align its values with those of the Korean community in which it operates?
3. What would have been (would be) the best way in which to handle a situation such as this?
In a well-planned essay (continuous prose, no bullet points) of a minimum of 400 words, using the questions above merely as a guideline:
Advise both the franchise owner and McDonald's Corporation's corporate management as to the best strategy going forward. Discuss as many ethical approaches that can be applied to this situation.