This piece examines a Queens McDonald’s facing repeated trouble from groups of teens, the franchise’s response to limit teen entry during peak hours, and why assigning a single, smaller employee to enforce that rule looks risky and poorly thought out.
A Queens McDonald’s has been dealing with groups of disruptive teens who invade the store, throw things, harass staff, and sometimes assault customers. Management decided to bar more than one teen at a time from entering between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, the hours when students from a local high school typically pack the place. On paper, limiting group entry sounds sensible, but the person chosen to enforce that rule raises real concerns about safety and judgment. Choosing the right staffer to protect customers and coworkers matters more than checking a box that says the policy exists.
She’s an “Arch” angel.
Wild packs of rowdy teens have allegedly created so much havoc at a Queens McDonald’s that they’ve hired a “McBouncer” to keep the kids at bay.
Claudia Zanabria, a McDonald’s crew member who survived stage 3 rectal cancer, says she was picked to police the teen terrors because she’s the “toughest” employee at the restaurant.
“This generation is really different. . . . they push me, they disrespect me,” she told The Post.
I do not doubt Claudia Zanabria’s grit; surviving stage 3 rectal cancer suggests remarkable toughness and resolve. But courage and lived experience do not substitute for physical capability in a confrontation that can involve multiple aggressive teens. Expecting a single, relatively small employee to physically stop violent, coordinated groups is poor risk management for staff and customers alike.
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Putting a lone, slight worker between a mob and the rest of the public is a policy that invites tragedy. If enforcement starts and a fight breaks out, the odds are the teen group will overpower that employee long before backup arrives. Employers must match policies to realities on the ground, or they create liability and harm they could have prevented.
Police records show cops were called to the restaurant 15 times this year for assault, disorderly conduct, and other crimes, which is not the background to assign a fragile enforcement model. The most serious event noted was on May 21, just before 3 p.m., when a 24-year-old man reported he had been slapped by a stranger. By the time police often arrive, the teens have already fled, leaving property damage and shaken patrons behind.
Cops have been called to the restaurant 15 times so far this year for assault, disorderly conduct and other crimes, police records show.
The most serious incident appeared to happen May 21, just before 3 p.m., when a 24-year-old man claimed he was slapped by a stranger and filed a police report, the NYPD said.
Zanabria said that by the time police arrive at the restaurant, the rowdy teens have typically already fled, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Video evidence and eyewitness accounts underline how chaotic these incidents can become, with groups converging from multiple entrances and fights erupting among rival packs. In at least one clip, two groups of teens poured into the joint from both doors and began brawling while customers watched in fear. The same report quotes Zanabria saying the teens were disrespectful even to police when officers showed up.
In one melee caught on video, two groups of teens descended on the joint from both entrances and brawled with each other — while customers grimaced in fear as fists flew.
“They were even disrespectful to the cops,” she claimed.
Look at objective realities: photographs and social posts make clear Zanabria is a slight, middle-aged woman who, despite iron will, might be physically outmatched by determined teenagers. One stubborn teen girl or a pair of teen boys could overwhelm her in seconds. That is not a personal slight; it is a statement about physiology and numbers that management must acknowledge when crafting safety measures.
If the franchise is serious about protecting customers and staff and preventing vandalism, they should station the physically largest, most imposing employee at the door during those peak hours. If no such employee exists, they need to hire or contract competent, trained security to handle the task. That approach protects employees, customers, and the business while deterring future trouble.
Allowing political correctness to dictate staffing choices in a situation that demands practical responses will only make the problem worse. Cities like New York face real problems with repeat offenders, and businesses should be free to take commonsense steps to safeguard their premises and patrons. Practical, force-matched solutions reduce risk and show responsibility.
Editor’s Note: The days of lawlessness in the USA are over. Thanks to President Trump, our country will be SAFE once again.
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