NOLA.com is reporting that McDonald's on the 700 block of Canal Street near the French Quarter has closed its doors.

This is the last McDonald's that was open in the area, known for having a large amount of foot traffic from locals and visitors alike.

The closure of this McDonald's location comes just a few months after Starbucks closed its doors nearby, according to NOLA.com.

So why would a McDonald's close?

McDonald's
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When we think about restaurants closing, we normally attribute it to slow business. But there are a number of reasons a restaurant would close.

If it is a locally-owned restaurant, the closure could be caused by anything from lack of business to lack of business sense. It could be due to problems with a lease or sales terms. It could even be demanded by the Department of Health or caused by a death in the family.

But a McDonald's?

How often does McDonald's close one of its restaurants?

To be honest, it appears that it happens fairly regularly in this country.

McDonald's Reports 3 Percent Drop In Revenue In Second Quarter
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According to a report from EatThis.com, in 2021 alone, McDonald's closed 231 restaurants across the country and, I'm sure, some were casualties of the COVID pandemic.

But, the story says, even with the closure of so many stores, McDonald's bottom line went up. The underperforming stores were putting a strain on the company, and closing them paid off.

the closures didn't impact its sales growth, but rather boosted it, according to Restaurant Business. - via Eat This

So, why did the lower Canal Street location close its doors?

According to NOLA.com, the franchise owner said for "a multitude of reasons."

Though he wouldn't mention any of the reasons, the franchise owner said it was a decision that came down from corporate.

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McDonald's corporate office said that it has been "targeting" lower-performing stores, including locations inside Walmart stores and other locations without a drive-through.

This location of McDonald's did not have a drive-through.

But could the closure of this location of McDonald's have been about safety?

If you've glanced at any news articles about New Orleans recently, you'll read a lot of stories about the crime in the city.

Remember the Starbucks we mentioned earlier in this story that closed up shop a few months back? NOLA.com reports that Starbucks decided to close that location due to safety concerns for its staff.

Starbucks Workers At A Chicago Location Begin Unionization Attempt
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The franchise owner, as quoted by NOLA.com, said that the closure had nothing to do with "lagging sales" or "declining foot traffic".

Even though management didn't specify a reason, claiming that crime and vagrancy had nothing to do with the closure, many are reading between the lines.

Now that the McDonald's on the 700 block of Canal has closed, the next-closest location is one mile away, at 2757 Canal.

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