Eight McDonald’s employees in central France have been dismissed after colleagues revealed that they were allegedly selling drugs via the fast-food restaurant’s drive-through, as well as cutting up and bagging cannabis at the salad bar.
The allegations surround the branch of McDonald’s in Genay, a town near Lyon, where it is believed the scheme started when the restaurant came under new management in 2013. Employees allegedly started selling marijuana to costumers through the drive-through window, inserting the drugs into burger boxes in the take-away bags.
"They were cutting up the weed, weighing it, and bagging it at the salad bar," an employee told Le Progrès newspaper.
The allegations claim that locals wishing to buy drugs from the fast-food employees would send a text message with their order, and would then arrange a time to carry out their transaction at the drive-though window.
The Genay branch staff who reported the illegal activity claim that it came after months of deteriorating working conditions, beginning with alcohol and drug-fuelled parties on the premises, including card games that continued into the early morning.
"Some people were smoking joints, then cooking without washing their hands," a McDonald’s employee said, describing the branch’s hygiene standards as below acceptable.
In a statement, the McDonald’s France said that it had dismissed the employees for their "illegal occupation" of the premises after hours, as well as for their use of marijuana in the restaurant.
