McDonald's China Apologizes For Banning Black People

(RTTNews) - McDonald's in China has apologized and closed a restaurant for issuing a notice banning black people from entering amid the spread of coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic, multiple reports said. The fast food chain said the ban on black people was not representative of its inclusive values.

The incident happened in the industrial city of Guangzhou, where China's largest African communities reside.

As per a video shared on social media, a notice displayed at the store read, "We've been informed that from now on black people are not allowed to enter the restaurant."

The company immediately removed the communication and temporarily closed the restaurant when it found this out. Further, the restaurant reportedly conducted diversity and inclusion training in the branch.

BBC reported that in Guangzhou, a major area for African traders, hundreds of Africans were evicted last week from hotels and apartments following online rumours that the virus was spreading among African people.

The news of restaurant closure comes as the company is experiencing weak sales due to COVID-19, which caused significant restaurant closures and "shelter-in-place" orders worldwide.

Last week, McDonald's had reported 22.2 percent drop in total comparable sales for the month of March and a 3.4 percent drop in total comparable sales for the first quarter. Globally, sales results began to markedly decline during the second half of March due to COVID-19.

The company recently withdrew its 2020 outlook and its long-term outlook, due to the uncertainty related to COVID-19.