The long simmering fight between a Flushing McDonald's franchise and a group of loitering senior citizens came to a head last week, with both sides refusing to back down on their respective opinions. Luckily, a peace deal was brokered this morning before more french fries flew, helped along by New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim. Yes, it took big government muscle to negotiate a treaty between a burger hawker and a group of octogenarians.
To recap, a group of elderly Korean men had been using the fast food joint as a meeting place to linger over a cup of coffee, causing frustrated franchise owners to call the cops on the men after requests for them to disperse were ignored. The community fought back, calling for a boycott of the restaurant for what it deemed to be discrimination.
Today's "McResolution" includes terms for both sides of the argument, reports Politicker. The McDonald's owner has agreed to let the men sit unmolested during slower hours, in addition to posting signs outlining rules in both Chinese and Korean and to call Kim's office in lieu of calling the cops if things get out of hand. The restaurant also agreed to help with shuttle service to and from local senior centers while the men agreed to "respect the establishment's rules."
While the new deal should help ease some of the tension, Kim believes the ordeal points to a "larger and growing social problem" in the community. "With an increasing immigrant senior community, our communities need more resources and funding to support overcrowded senior and community centers," Kim said at the event's conclusion. They've got to find an outlet to release that pent up energy.
