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JAKARTA: Hundreds of people in central Jakarta gathered on Sunday night (May 10) to say goodbye to the first McDonald’s store in Indonesia, in what some have said is a possible violation of COVID restrictions- 19.
Sarinah, a state-owned mall where the flagship store was located, announced last week that the entire building would be renovated starting next month.
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The mall is also adjusting its retail mix in favor of Indonesian franchises, as well as small and medium-sized businesses when the renovation is complete in 2021.
READ: COVID-19: McDonald’s Singapore to reopen most restaurants on May 11
After almost 30 years in business, the McDonald’s store in the Sarinah Mall closed its doors at 10.05pm on Sunday.
Videos and photos circulating on social media show several hundred people flocking to the store’s parking lot to see employees closing the store for the last time.
In a video, workers were seen bowing to the cheering crowd before a man was heard shouting “McDonald’s Sarinah.”
McDonald’s Indonesia also broadcast the store closing live on their Instagram account.
UNFORGETTABLE PLACE
Since McDonald’s announced the store closed on May 8, Indonesians have been tweeting their fond memories of the restaurant, loved for being a 24-hour hangout.
“It is a place to chat late at night, meet friends early … (A place) to relax when there is no electricity in my rented room, a restaurant visited the first day of Idul Fitri.” Twitter user Santy Tobing said in response to the announcement.
“Too many good memories at McD Sarinah. Thanks and sayonara.
The store, which first opened on February 23, 1991, was located on busy Thamrin Street in the heart of Jakarta, where government offices and multinational companies are located.
However, its strategic location also meant that the store served as a silent witness to countless nearby protests and riots. He also witnessed a terrorist attack in 2016 and a series of protests surrounding the Indonesian presidential elections in 2019.
Ms. Syully Subrata, 54, said the store was full of people looking to say goodbye when she went on Saturday afternoon.
“He had so many good memories there,” he told CNA.
As a child, she said that her parents often took her to Sarinah, Indonesia’s first mall opened in 1967.
“When McDonald’s opened its store in Sarinah, it was my turn to take my children there,” he said. “It was close to where I lived, so that’s where I met my friends. It was so strategic that it became a meeting point and a place to hang out after work. “
Mdm Syully Subrata posing in front of McDonald’s Sarinah on Saturday (May 9, 2020), a day before the iconic outlet closes. (Photo: Syully Subrata)
Mdm Subrata said he took his two children there to take selfies. “I wanted to get in, but it was so crowded with lines spilling into the parking lot that I decided not to. I was afraid of COVID-19. So we stayed outside, “he said.
“But unexpectedly, some of my friends had similar ideas. In total, I met eight friends by chance at the complex. We all wanted to say goodbye to our beloved restaurant. “
READ: Masks and untouched: Indonesia aims to keep traditional markets alive amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Indonesians were quick to point out that the meeting may have been a violation of the government’s large-scale social restrictions that have been imposed to curb COVID-19.
The order, known in Indonesia by its acronym PSBB, prohibits a gathering of more than five people, while all restaurants can only serve takeout food. The crowd was estimated to have numbered more than 300.
“Let’s hope that a group of McD Sarinah does not emerge … How can a meeting of so many people not be dissolved?” tweeted the Indonesian Pedestrian Coalition, a nongovernmental organization campaigning for pedestrian rights.
Indonesian film director Joko Anwar also criticized the meeting. “Was a meeting like this really necessary in the midst of a pandemic?” he said.
REJECTED BUT NOT FINE
When asked by the CNA, Central Jakarta Police Chief Heru Novianto said the police will not fine anyone for violating the order of social restrictions.
“It was his last chance to buy food at the restaurant, and people flocked. They were there to buy food, although some were delayed until the restaurant was officially closed, “said the chief commissioner.
“It was an impromptu meeting, so it wasn’t the fault of the restaurant or anyone else. Also, the meeting only lasted a brief moment and people wore masks and kept a safe distance. “
By law, the maximum penalty for violating the social restraining order is one year in prison or a fine of Rs 100 million (US $ 6,695).
FILE PHOTO: People wearing facemasks practice social distancing while receiving rice from an ATM rice vending machine amid the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 4, 2020. REUTERS / Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
Jakarta Law Enforcement Agency chief Arifin said officials were immediately deployed at the exit when the meeting occurred.
“We knew about the meeting because our patrol car passed through the area. It took us half an hour before the crowd could disperse, ”said Mr. Arifin, who like many Indonesians has only one name, according to Indonesian media.
“I personally came to the site to question management. According to the restaurant, the meeting was not planned and the crowd arrived unexpectedly, “he added.
In any case, I chided the restaurant. There should be no more meetings or ceremonies during the PSBB order. “
McDonald’s Indonesia has not commented on the incident.
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