Seattle McDonald’s Nicknamed ‘McStabby’s’ Removes Door and Serves Customers Through a Hatch amid Multiple Attacks

A McDonald’s in downtown Seattle is drawing attention after reportedly changing how it serves customers because of ongoing safety issues.

At the restaurant near the corner of 3rd Avenue and Pine Street, customers can no longer walk inside to order. Instead, they reportedly place orders through a hatch that is largely covered with plexiglass, according to the Daily Mail. The restaurant’s double doors are said to be kept propped open, while the exterior glass near the service area has reportedly been covered with plywood to help prevent vandalism.

A 45-year-old man named Nick told the Daily Mail that the area outside the location can be volatile, alleging that people often “do drugs and attack each other” nearby. He added that conditions worsen at night, claiming, “When it’s dark, it’s way worse – way more people getting assaulted and robbed.”

Nick, who said he previously experienced homelessness and still visits the neighborhood, also described witnessing a deadly shooting in the area. He was referring to a January 2020 incident that left one woman dead and seven people injured — including a 9-year-old boy — per the Daily Mail. “I watched a girl get shot and killed right here,” he said, gesturing toward a nearby lamppost. “It was a horrible shooting.”

Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said at the time, “We responded immediately, and we discovered victims at the scene in about a one-block radius,” USA Today previously reported.

“Officers immediately started lifesaving measures,” Best added.

More recently, another violent incident was reported outside the same restaurant in February 2024, when a 29-year-old man named Matthew was allegedly stabbed in the head while waiting for food with his partner, Christopher Burns, according to Komo News.

“This random guy came up and started kicking our dog and attacking my partner,” Burns said, according to the outlet.

A young employee also told the Daily Mail that they have witnessed violence firsthand. Pointing toward the sidewalk outside the restaurant, the worker reportedly said, “I’ve seen some physical assaults, just right here,” adding, “People tripping out, just a bunch of stuff.”

David Santillanes, the owner and operator of the restaurant, said the location closed its dining room during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to The Independent — and the interior has remained closed since, reportedly as a safety measure for staff amid ongoing concerns tied to crime and poverty in the surrounding area.

Santillanes told the U.K. paper, “As a small business owner here in Seattle for 24 years, my team and I care deeply about feeding and serving this community.”

“We have implemented security measures at this location to allow us to keep supporting the neighborhood while ensuring the safety of our people. Despite the challenges in this particular area, we will continue doing what we can to effect positive change, working in close partnership with local community organizations,” he added, per the outlet.

When asked about policing in the area, the Seattle Police Department said officers patrol downtown “on a 24/7 basis.”

“Seattle police officers often do proactive policework and emphasis patrols in crime hotspots such as 3rd Avenue and Pine Street – including bike patrols, foot beats, warrant arrests, weapons arrests, and drug enforcement – when not responding to emergency calls for service,” the agency said.

McDonald’s has not responded to a request for comment.