McDonald's has closed another Atlanta area restaurant. According to multiple sources in the area and confirmed by a restaurant employee, the McDonald's at 1291 Bells Ferry Road (near its intersection with Cobb Parkway) officially closed November 29 after more than 50 years in business.
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| Photo from Cobb County Property Records |
ToNeTo Atlanta readers and reviewers on Google indicate that this location suffered from service, safety, and loitering issues, among other challenges. A large homeless shelter - MUST Hope House - opened in early 2022 at 1297 Bells Ferry Road, a neighbor that has reportedly exacerbated the loitering issues at the restaurant.
[A developer had proposed a seven story mixed-use residential and retail development on four acres across from the McDonald's, but the Marietta City Council voted 4-3 to deny the proposal in September.]
A Google Street View visit from May 2024 seems to show a group of a half dozen men and a dog hanging out in the restaurant's parking lot. In a separate Cobb County screengrab from January 2023, there seems to be a stationary elevated surveillance unit in the parking lot, presumably in an effort to dissuade loitering.
Dominic S. said on Google of his recent visit:
"After literally less than 2 minutes of trying to decide what to order I was told by the staff to “get out of line, you’re running my time up”. The staff here is so rude. Not to mention I was the only person in line. I just decided to go to the Burger King across the street where I welcomed to take my time and place my order."
Aaron S. on his recent visit:
"One of the worst McDonald's I have seen in a long time, the food is never cooked properly and it's always dirty on the inside."
Dionte J.
"I'm trying to get in touch with whoever is in charge of this McDonald's there's two females back there assaulting the customers as well as cursing at them cussing them out I'm trying to fight them sending the video over to whoever is in charge these females need to be fired ! The female on shift is supposed to been the manager is also accused of assaulting a minor the parents showed up she tried to fight them. I have it on video."
The restaurant has received more than 1,500 reviews on Google with an overall rating of 2.9/5.
They fared even worse on Yelp with 48 reviews with an overall rating of 1.6/5.
Commentary on Yelp mirrored that of Google with customers saying:
"I've had enough of this location. It is BY FAR the worst McDonalds I've ever had the displeasure of visiting."
"This is the worst McDonald's around me."
"This place is an absolute joke."
The 4,268 square foot Bells Ferry McDonald's opened in 1971 and according to Cobb County property records saw multiple renovations between 2003 and 2011 totaling nearly $800,000. In 2024, Cobb County appraised the 1.2 acre property - including the land and building - at nearly $1.5M.
ToNeTo Atlanta reported in 2020 that Hamilton closed another Cobb County McDonald's at 1305 Powers Ferry Road. The restaurant was subsequently demolished and rebuilt as a Take 5 Oil Change. In recent months, we have also reported on McDonald's closures on North Druid Hills Road in Brookhaven and on LaVista Road near Northlake.
Have you been to this McDonald's? What fast food burger restaurant do think consistently has the best service? What would you like to see open in place of this McDonald's?
Please share your thoughts below.
18 comments:
Who goes to McDonalds and can’t decide what they want in less than 2 minutes? If it takes you longer than that you should leave. Go to Cheesecake Factory with a 20 page menu and take an hour to decide what you want .
I challenge anyone reading this to find a single McDonalds in the metro area with >4.0 Google rating. They don't exist. People that operate McDonalds don't care to enforce standards and McDonalds corporate doesn't care to uphold them.
I ate at this McDonalds ten years ago and it was as bad as the commenters say, just terrible customer service and employee attitude.
The last time I ate at McDonald's (in Buckhead), it was just before noon on a weekday. I would've thought that the food would be piping hot and fresh. I could not have been more wrong. The regular hamburger that I ordered was lukewarm at best, and had the appearance and taste of being cooked a couple of hours earlier and then kept under a heat lamp. The fries appeared and tasted as if they were left over from the previous evening. The real kick in the head was how much it cost. Never again unless I'm desperate and out of options.
The McDonalds in Dixielandville probably has perfectly cooked burgers fresh from the cow and fries crisp out of the manure. Go there and eat those. Stop driving from the plantation to Buckhead and complaining about it.
@ 12/1/24, 6:54; Please, get some help.
Please get some kelp!
Maybe I'm lucky or maybe my expectations are low, but the last few times I've been to McDonalds, it's been fine. Once was through the late night drive-thru in Dunwoody along the access road near Chamblee Dunwoody, once in Eufala on the way to the beach, and once was in downtown San Antonio after a concert. The San Antonio visit took a long time but there were probably 100 people or more in there trying to get food. The order was correct on all three visits and the food was good.
McDonald's hasn't been the same since the early ICE raids. It's the same for Taco Bell. The only fast food chain run by Americans that's worth a damn is Chick Fil-A.
LOL
I simply stop going bc the area was saturated with homeless people in the parking lot! It looked upkept and unclean so go figure about the food!
Place had homeless people around it and visiting it often who were leaving trash outside and smelling up the place. There is a shelter behind it. This place was just not great. Food never prepared with care. It needed to close!
This McDonalds was the worst one I've ever been to and it had nothing to do with Must/the unhoused. They had double lane drive thrus but would never alternate taking orders. They'd simply continue taking orders from one lane and ignore the other. That is is they ever acknowledged the drive thru in the first place. Can't tell you how many times I waited and was never greeted. The few times I did get to order, the food was wrong, gross, and took forever. One time they told me to pull up, then completely forgot me. I went in after 20 mins and they were all "you didn't get your food?!" shocked Pikachu face. The Burger King across the street is the best BK I've ever been to and the only I go back to. Nothing to do with homeless
Sorry to see this location close. My guess is after 50 years of business, corporate and the operator elected to close.
MUST is location is behind the building and they are relatively new to the location.
Hopefully the staff has found new employment.
Most quick service restaurants have been in a quandary since COVID and the ability to hire employees to work and deal with customers and not all customers are nice and pleasant.
Soo the shooting that happened there between coworkers had nothing to so with it shutting down huh? Nope. Blame it on must ministries and them trying to help the community. Sick!
The Burger King diagonally across the intersection isn't any better. I'm amazed that it's still open. The rudest staff I have ever experienced at a fast food place
You are right
I noticed the last few months it was opened there was a manager working there that was professional and had a good attitude. Her name is Heather I really hope she was given a job at another location. Things started looking up for this place when she started there.
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