Following initial resistance from local residents, a new McDonald’s restaurant in Neuvic, France is nearing completion and preparing to begin hiring ahead of it’s anticipated opening. The project, which faced a petition garnering over 1,000 signatures in opposition, is now entering its final stages, with a recruitment facts session scheduled for Febuary 2nd.Local reactions have shifted as the restaurant nears completion, with some residents expressing optimism about the new employment opportunities and convenience it will offer.
Residents of Neuvic, France, are largely satisfied with the progress of a new McDonald’s restaurant despite initial controversy, as construction nears completion and the fast-food chain prepares to begin hiring. A recruitment information session is scheduled for Monday, February 2, at the McDonald’s in Notre Dame de Sanilhac, ahead of the Neuvic location’s opening.
Construction on the future McDonald’s in Neuvic is almost finished, with crews still on site but the bulk of the work completed. Neither the restaurant’s manager nor the local municipality has announced an official opening date, but a recruitment information session will be held on Monday, February 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the McDonald’s in Notre-Dame-de-Sanilhac. The event, posted on the France Travail website, will feature a recruiter and offer opportunities for potential employees to meet with the company without submitting a resume. The municipality estimates the restaurant will create approximately 25 jobs.
“The Neuvic McDonald’s Affair”
The announcement of the McDonald’s restaurant in Neuvic late in 2024 initially sparked local opposition, with a petition gathering over 1,000 signatures against the project. Béatrice, the manager of the Café de la Paix in the village square, recalls the initial concerns. “It was the ‘McDonald’s affair’ in Neuvic. People were asking me when it would open, what would be next to it. You heard all sorts of things. People talked about the big American group coming to take over everything. New things are scary.” The restaurant is being built in the La Jaubertie commercial zone, near the Intermarché supermarket.
No More Trips to Marsac or Sanilhac
For McDonald’s, Hélène’s three sons previously traveled to Marsac or Sanilhac. They live less than 800 meters from the new fast-food restaurant and are excited about its arrival. “One of them talks about it every day. They say they’re going to go every day. It’s good, though, it was missing in the area and it was complicated to have to travel. We won’t go all the time, but it’s good for evenings when we don’t know what to cook,” she says.
Xavier, the manager of the Extra restaurant, was the most concerned, according to local residents, calling his establishment the “local McDonald’s.” He opened his burger restaurant on the village square six years ago, but has since adjusted his outlook. “At first, I was angry, in disbelief, I was afraid of losing my customers, but after reflection, we don’t do the same thing. We buy our bread from the bakery next door, the cheese from the cheesemonger, so we’re not the same type of restaurant. Customers reassured me by telling me they would always come. So it’s better,” says the restaurateur, who began his career with the American chain. To ensure he retains customers, he has created a five-euro menu, similar to McDonald’s.
