Hungry diners have slammed a ‘fast food’ diner for its absurdly long wait times, with locals claiming managers allow their mostly underage staff to cop the blame.
Customers at the Ballina Central McDonald’s, 30km south of Byron Bay, took to social media on Thursday to vent over the store’s routine 35-minute preparation times.
Hundreds said ‘enough is enough’ for the Bangalow Road restaurant which has become known for its slow service and understaffing during busy periods.
The person who kicked off the tirade said that they had asked for management on several occasions and ‘not once have they ever been there’.
One irate local posted that the restaurant should ‘McF*** off’.
The Maccas in Ballina, 30kms south of Byron Bay, has been slammed by locals for its long wait times and understaffing during busy periods
Hundreds piled onto social media to critque the restaurant. Some said they had waited for over 45 minutes for their food while others said the store wasn’t worth visiting (stock image of a McDonalds)
Local Tanya Lee said the problem of long wait times was not new.
‘It’s been like that for months now. I refuse to go there as when I have it’s taken 45 mins – ridiculous,’ she wrote.
She added that it ‘was not the poor kids’ [staff’s] fault’, with many others posters in agreement.
‘The owners need to step up and sort this out! The staff/kids are getting flogged, it’s not fair,’ Kellie Little wrote.
‘Poor buggers are hugely understaffed and massively under the pump. It’s frustrating but don’t take it out on the guys behind the window, they’re doing their best,’ Ben Lovett added.
Patsy Mastrippolito also slammed the managers who are usually ‘working behind the scenes’ but unwilling to ‘pull their weight during busy times’.
Kye Lane said that the store had become a stain on the franchise and that it was not fair on staff or the customers who spend their money there.
‘All bins overflowing, tables filthy, floor filthy, receipts sprayed across the counter. Is there just not enough staff? It’s not fair on them at all,’ he wrote.
Finally, Rochelle McGauran came to the conclusion that it was time people started packing their own lunches again in order to avoid the store altogether.
Enraged customers were frustrated that the management of the store was happy to let their mostly teenage staff cop the complaints from customers (stock image of a McDonalds)
A McDonald’s spokesperson told NewsLocal that the Ballina store had transitioned between licensees in September last year.
‘Customer feedback is extremely important as it helps us provide the best possible service to our community,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We are working to address this feedback as a priority through hiring more people and training our staff on McDonald’s high standards of customer service and cleanliness.
‘While we will always do our best for our customers, we do not tolerate anti-social behaviour and expect our people to be treated with respect at all times.
‘We are committed to providing our customers with a great experience and our team is working hard to make sure we’re meeting the high standards we set for ourselves.’
Daily Mail has contacted McDonald’s for comment.