New York McDonald’s Bans Teens Without Parents After Crime Rises

A McDonald’s in New York City is not allowing anyone under the age of 20 inside without a parent and identification under a new policy aimed at reducing crime.

The location at Nostrand and Flatbush avenues in Brooklyn posted a sign on its door that reads, “No one under the age of 20 is allowed in this restaurant without a parent and proper identification. Thank you, Management.”

Why It Matters

In the past three years, more than 100 911 calls were made annually from inside and in front of the McDonald’s location, according to police data obtained by the New York Post. There have been nearly 30 calls this year so far.

In 2011, an 18-year-old was fatally shot as he entered the restaurant. A year later, a manager assaulted a 24-year-old woman following an argument about food.

What To Know

Manager Amber Hussain, 19, told the Post that a group of juveniles wearing ski masks attacked a security guard and broke a glass door inside the restaurant earlier this month.

“It was a crazy scene,” Hussain said.

She said she has been working at the McDonald’s for a year, and around 15 to 20 teenagers come in every day to “trash the store.” She said they throw ice at customers, grab food from Uber drivers and smoke marijuana inside the restaurant.

Kenneth Mbonu, executive director of the Flatbush Nostrand Junction Business Improvement District, told CBS News New York that the district and management are trying to be “proactive.”

“We don’t want something bad to happen first, before we begin to come look for solutions,” Mbonu said.

Sania Bolasingh shared a video on TikTok from inside the restaurant. The video appeared to show a security guard standing at the entrance and children waiting outside to get in.

A Target around the corner from the McDonald’s requires all guests under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, according to a sign at the store.

What People Are Saying

Bolasingh, in an interview with the New York Post: “If you’re from that area, you know that McDonald’s is horrible.”

Customer Kia Hamilton, in an interview with CBS News New York: “I’m not siding with McDonald’s because its discrimination against everybody under 20. Sometimes, one bad person or a few bad people can ruin things for everybody.”

What Happens Next

The policy remains in effect at the location. Customers of any age are allowed to place a mobile order in the McDonald’s app and pick it up at the location’s 24-hour window.

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