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McDonald's Cuts Crime At Restaurant In London By Playing Classical Music

McDonald's Cuts Crime At Restaurant In London By Playing Classical Music

To stop the kids fighting, they're blasting out the Beethoven

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

We've all been there - just trying to get a Grand Mac, 20 Chicken McNuggets, large fries and a milkshake on your way home, but your path to the McDonald's is blocked by large groups of anti-social people arguing, or just loitering, or whatever.

Well, one McDonald's restaurant in London has come up with a way to stop this happening - play classical music.

Residents of Shepherd's Bush had branded their local Maccies as 'awful' and there had been 71 instances of crime in 2017.

It was thought that there could have been drug dealing going on in the toilets, there have been assaults on members of the public as well as security staff, and there have even been incidents where the perpetrator has been carrying a knife.

SWNS

With that in mind, the people in charge decided to act and took away the free Wi-Fi, as well as playing classical music in the branch.

They've also removed bike racks (not sure how that would help, but OK) and closed the upstairs of the restaurant at night.

The restaurant, on Uxbridge Road, is now experiencing way lower instances of anti-social behaviour.

Ok, so the police have also begun patrolling and are going to be looking at the CCTV so they can ban offenders. That has probably helped too.

It's not the first time that classical music has helped though. Anyone who has been to London has probably heard it being played in stations on The Underground, shops have also been known to use a bit of Beethoven to calm everyone down.

They've obviously never seen 'A Clockwork Orange' then. Classical music didn't stop those guys.

via GIPHY

This is thought to be the first time a McDonald's in the capital has used the tactic though.

The franchisee who owns the restaurant, Atul Pathak said: "Working together with the police and the local council in Shepherds Bush to help them with combating persistent anti-social behaviour, we thought that playing classical music at certain times of the day would help to set a different and calmer tone.

"It is working really well and has been positively received by many customers, so much so that we are giving real consideration as to where else we might introduce it."

SWNS

Outside of London the classial music treatment has already been underway for a while. Glasgow's Argyle Street branch had 200 incidents in 14 months before they started smashing out the Schubert.

A McDonald's spokesperson told Mail Online: "We have tested the effects of classical music in the past and played it in some of our restaurants as it encourages more acceptable behaviour.

"Typically, classical music would be played from early evening onwards, and in some cases, on certain nights in a small number of restaurants."


Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: UK News, Music, McDonald's, London