Haight McDonald’s Supersized Drug Problem Garners National Attention

The McDonald's at the corner of Haight and Stanyan has never been a sterling exemplar of the chain, what with the near-constant presence of homeless people in and around the building, often using it as an ad hoc toilet or place to score drugs. (Sample Yelp review: "You just have to laugh when a homeless prostitute offers her 'wares' to you for some French fries.") But despite tons of media attention (including a 2012 profile in the New York Times), conditions have remained dire, and with Vacaville-based franchisee Yin McDonald's failing to clean things up, SF City Attorney Dennis Herrera has now issued a direct appeal to McDonald's corporate to get the location in line.

In his demand letter, Herrera describes the McDonald's as "a safe haven for drug dealers and users" that's been a source of near-constant visits from the SFPD. According to Herrera, in the period from January 2014 to April 2015, police and ambulances were called to the McDonald's over 640 times (that's an average of 1.3 calls per day). In the past seven months alone, Herrera says cops have made 11 drug-related arrests at the McDonald's and recovered more than 100 doses of LSD, 2+ pounds of marijuana, 88.5 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and more than half a pound of marijuana edibles, as well as hashish.

"The franchisee has refused to address the issues," writes Herrera in the letter; a deputy city attorney told CBS Local that the office wants to see security guards and improved lighting on the McDonald's premises. For their part, Yin McDonald's told Hoodline back in April that they "continue to work closely with the staff, the SF police, and outside security to assure that we always provide a welcoming environment that is safe, friendly, and secure," but a manager on duty said he couldn't remember the last time the restaurant employed a security guard.