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McDonald's ponders dining room closings amidst rising COVID-19 cases

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August 31, 2021

Amidst rising COVID-19 cases in areas impacted by the Delta variant, McDonald's is advising franchisees on steps to take to re-close their dining rooms — or not reopen at all, according to a Reuters report.

"We have a much deeper sense of what actions make a difference for the safety of our restaurant teams and crew," Joe Erlinger, McDonald's USA president, said during a Wednesday meeting, according to Reuters.

McDonald's had temporarily closed dining rooms at nearly all U.S. locations during the pandemic's early days in 2020 with drive-thrus remaining open. Reuters reported 70% had reopened by last month, with the final stores on track to open by Labor Day.

But the fast-food giant is now laying out options to re-close dining rooms in areas where COVID cases exceed 250 per 100,000 people on a rolling three-week average.

"We're monitoring the impact of the Delta variant closely and recently convened together with our franchisees to underscore existing safety protocols, reinforce our people first approach and provide updates on the rise in cases in the country," McDonald's said in a statement to Reuters.