A GRAN was left furious when she sent McDonald’s photos of their “filthy” restaurant – only for the fast-food chain to take it as a compliment.
Ceri Pepper, 61, said the mess in Crossways Parc branch in Caerphilly, Wales, was “mayhem” when she popped in to buy her family a treat.
Nuggets and packets are strewn across the floor
Ceri Pepper, pictured with daughter Jade, said the mess in Crossways Parc branch in Caerphilly, Wales, was ‘mayhem’
She found the surfaces and units encrusted with sauces and spills and grabbed her camera to document the filth.
“Appalling” The floor is covered in lettuce, chips, and nuggets while staff is standing in the dirt and spillages.
But when Ceri showed McDonald’s the pictures on social media, the chain replied saying they “love to hear when our restaurants impress with their cleanliness’ and promised to pass on her ‘compliments”.
The Caerphilly, Wales-based grandmother said, “It was gross. They also kicked the food from underneath the units.
It was terrible. It was more than just a few pieces that could be picked up.
Because the sauce was sticky, a staff member was holding the toffee sauce container with two fingers.
Ceri Pepper
“Ceri said: “The mess itself was mayhem, though I have seen the restaurant cleaner [when it’s been busier].
“The floor was filthy. It’s not just walked in food – it’s walked in the dirt.
“[A member of staff] She was reaching for the toffee sauce bottle, holding it up with her two fingers. It was sticky and encrusted with sauce.
“I looked around and saw the entire area and thought, “Oh my goodness!” This was also true for the rest of the area.
“All the orders were piled up. They weren’t cleaning anything. It was just piling up and piling up.”
Despite having forked out £14 for three triple cheeseburgers, two fries, and two McFlurrys, the horrified gran said she left the restaurant and binned the food as she didn’t want to take the risk.
She added: “They [the staff] were oblivious to it.
“As I was about to leave, I asked a young girl: “Isn’t anybody cleaning today?” She replied that she wasn’t sure. That was it.
“At the moment the emphasis is on hygiene, and I didn’t want to take that chance.
“I don’t know what happened. It is normally very clean but it was contaminated.
“Whatever staff were on at that time were appalling, but the other staff is right on the ball and I’d like them to be mentioned.”
After showing her photos to McDonald’s on social media, the fast-food giant replied: “Thanks for letting us know, we love to hear when our restaurants impress with their cleanliness. I’ll pass your compliments onto the restaurant and staff members.”
‘JOKE RESPONSE’
Ceri was convinced the response was “a joke”.
She replied, “I haven’t been back to that place since.”
“I was stunned when I saw their reply on social media. “Are they making a joke of me?” Are they taking this seriously?
“I phoned Environmental Health and sent them the photos. The lady I spoke to said it wasn’t acceptable and they needed to be going in. She said even if they were busy it wasn’t acceptable.”
After Ceri called Environmental Health, a council spokesman confirmed that they have “requested remedial actions to be undertaken by the restaurant” and will be performing a follow-up visit.
McDonald’s spokesperson stated that “Hygiene is our top priority and we apologize to the customer for the experience.”
“This was an exceptionally busy time for the restaurant, and as soon as the issue was brought to the attention of our franchisee the restaurant operated Drive-Thru only for a short period, to allow for extra cleaning to take place.”
Caerphilly Council spokesperson confirmed that they are handling a complaint and have asked for remedial action to be taken by the restaurant.
A follow-up visit will be made on Wednesday.
The restaurant appeared to be in disarray
Ceri shared the pictures online
People were quick to express their concerns online
Ceri binned her dinner because she didn’t want to risk it