One Tennessee father is sharing a disappointing fast-food outing that didn’t exactly live up to the golden-arches nostalgia many parents remember from their own childhoods. What was supposed to be a simple meal with his three young children turned into a frustrating experience that has sparked a bigger conversation online about how fast-food dining has changed over the years. “They don’t want you inside,” he says to opent he video.
The Tennessee dad, Adam Lee Weber, posted a TikTok video describing what happened during a recent visit to a Nashville McDonald’s with his kids, all under the age of 10. Like many parents, Weber said he was hoping to recreate the kind of fun memories he associated with McDonald’s growing up in the early 1990s, a time when Play Places were everywhere, and employees were, in his words, “smiley and happy to see us.” Instead, he says the visit felt cold, impersonal, and surprisingly difficult.
The first sign that things were different came when the family realized they couldn’t order from a cashier. Instead, they had to use a self-service kiosk. While that might not seem like a huge deal to some customers, Weber suggested it set the tone for the rest of the visit, which he described as lacking basic customer interaction.
Tennessee Father Rants About McDonald’s Horrible Service
After sitting down and waiting for their food, Weber said he had to flag down an employee just to ask for ketchup for his family of five. According to him, the worker handed over only three packets. When Weber asked for more, saying, “Bud, come on. We got kids. I need some more,” and the employee reportedly returned with just one additional packet.
The interaction left Weber feeling unwelcome. He described the employee as having “No personality. Just upset we’re inside.” And unfortunately, the ketchup situation didn’t end there. Once the small supply ran out, Weber said he had to lean over the counter again to get someone’s attention for more, adding that workers seemed “disgusted that I was even talking.”
Another change he noticed was that customers could no longer refill their own drinks at the fountain. Instead, they had to ask employees for refills, which he said added to the uncomfortable feeling of being an inconvenience rather than a paying customer.
Weber also pointed out that this wasn’t an isolated experience. He claimed to have encountered similar situations at other fast-food chains, including Taco Bell, where bathrooms were locked and an older customer was reportedly turned away for not wanting to use an ordering kiosk.
The Internet Agrees
Online, many viewers sympathized with Weber’s frustration. Some commenters said dine-in fast-food experiences haven’t felt the same since the pandemic, with automation replacing human interaction and restaurants focusing more heavily on drive-thru and delivery orders. Others argued that staffing shortages and efficiency demands have reshaped the industry in ways customers are still adjusting to.
There’s also a cultural shift happening. Fast food used to be marketed as a fun outing for families, especially kids. Today, it often feels more like a quick, efficient, but not exactly warm or memorable.
“I’ve been saying this. McDonald’s is designing store to keep customers out,” one person stated. “I miss the McDonald’s of the 80’s they were so cool back then,” said another. “I feel like Walmart is heading in the same direction. they want you to keep out and order online,” a third comment read.
Whether this was just a rough day at one location or a sign of a larger trend, this Tennessee dad’s story clearly struck a nerve. For families hoping to share the same simple dining experiences they once enjoyed as kids, the reality may look very different now.
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