A Passive-Aggressive McDonald's Sign Is A Bold Business Decision

The basic rules of business are fairly straightforward: Sell things for more money than what you bought them for and don't annoy your customers. They're so simple, it's a wonder that there aren't more billionaires. Surprisingly though, McDonald's appears to be struggling with the idea of keeping its customers onside.

A Reddit user has shared a viral photo showing a sign in a window of a McDonald's restaurant with strict instructions of "no loitering" and a 30-minute time restriction for eating food. This obviously seems to be counterproductive for a company reliant on people being able to buy and eat its food, but some commenters understand the ruling. They argue that the decision could reduce disruption caused by people simply using the restaurant as a place to hang out rather than spend any money.

However, as unusual as the time-limit approach may seem, similar schemes have existed for years in McDonald's restaurants across the country. So, why is McDonald's enforcing such a strange rule?

Time restrictions in McDonald's stores may not be a common sight, but the rules spread beyond one Reddit post and have existed for many years. In 2014, a 20-minute time limit on restaurant usage was imposed in a McDonald's in Queens, New York, which seemed to particularly target groups of elderly people. The police were called on several occasions to remove them, despite a protest that it would be "impossible" to drink a large coffee within 20 minutes, reports CNBC. Another New York McDonald's has imposed a 30-minute eat-in limit, as has one in Wisconsin.

Commenting on the situation in Queens, the police said that the majority of callouts were to deal with troublesome teenagers — a problem which, in the U.K. at least, is specifically associated with McDonald's. However, the time restrictions seem to be aimed at generally keeping business flowing in restaurants — potential customers may be put off if there is nowhere to sit. McDonald's is, after all, a fast-food restaurant.

This certainly chimes with one of the original operating policies of McDonald's: Speedee Service System, which focused on "speed, lower prices, and volume", explains History. The company cut staff, reduced its menu, and used pre-prepared food to operate quicker, leading to a doubling of profits by the early 1950s.