McDonald's closed because of drug dealers: which restaurant will set up in its place in Toulouse?

The premises ended up finding a buyer, more than a year after the departure of McDonald's. On November 30, 2023, Michel Réglat, director of the fast food restaurant, announced the closure of his restaurant in the Jeanne-d'Arc district, in Toulouse, due to the presence of drug dealers. The businessman, who runs several restaurants, predicted that the location “would remain unused for a long time” because “no one wants to come and work in such conditions.”

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Toulouse: the McDonald's in Jeanne-d'Arc permanently closed because of drug dealers

Khaoussou Djabi first assessed the situation. After noting that the climate in the neighborhood, neighboring the Place du Capitole, had 'calmed down', this 31-year-old entrepreneur took the plunge. He signed the lease in the middle of November. A G La Dalle fast-food restaurant will open sometime in 2025, “before summer”, promises the franchisee, who also owns an establishment of the brand in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. “I also have a Dominos Pizza franchise in Toulouse, near Arnaud-Bernard. Finding suitable premises remains a challenge, says Khaoussou Djabi. I wanted a premises big enough. When I heard that before, it was a McDonald's which occupied it, I wondered. It's quite rare to hear that a point of sale of this giant is closing. I noticed that the situation had changed. There police did a good job. I am reassured for the future.”

“They moved…”

When questioned, many merchants neighboring the former McDonald's assure that there are “no more deals since the fast food chain closed”. “I think the drug sellers moved a few streets further,” said one of them. “The restaurant was to serve as their headquarters…” A few weeks before the closure, an employee described with concern the discoveries made in the restaurant: narcotics hidden in the toilets, behind the false ceiling and under the sink. “We no longer felt safe,” she confided.

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“They stashed the drugs in the McDonald’s toilets”: in Toulouse, in the Jeanne-d’Arc district, the dealers lay down the law

Saïd, the manager of the Le Tchin bar, confirms that the dealers are no longer present during the day. “In the evening, there are still a few diehards. To dissuade them in the long term, a permanent police presence is necessary,” he says, noting the day’s menu on the slate. A municipal police officer indicates that traffickers are now operating very close to the Algerian consulate, a few meters from their former trading point. “We carry out patrols and surveillance missions. We are particularly vigilant. The traders complain,” he slips.

Although the drug dealers affected McDonald's business, important economic factors also played a role, according to a source familiar with the matter. “The point of sale aimed for four million euros in turnover and barely reached 1.8 million. The fast-food restaurant did not offer all of the brand's flagship products. In addition, the price of rent was very high…”, she says. Contacted, the former manager did not respond to our requests.