Jump to content

McDonald's sues Florence for $20m for blocking restaurant overlooking historic Duomo square


XXL

Recommended Posts

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37910431

McDonald's sues Florence for €18m for blocking restaurant

_92318542_7c800069-61dc-4532-be30-e19e57

 

McDonald's is suing Florence for €18m after it was blocked from opening a restaurant on one of the Italian city's most historic plazas. The fast-food giant had its plans for an outlet on the Piazza del Duomo rejected by Florence's mayor in June. The decision was upheld in July by a technical panel in charge of preserving the city's ancient heart. But McDonald's, which modified its proposals to fit with city guidelines, has now launched a bid for damages.

The chain is claiming it has been discriminated against, and wants to recoup the €17.8m (£15.9m; $19.7m) it estimates it will lose over the next 18 years, according to Italian newspaper Firenze Today.

 

Right to say no

It argues it put forward a plan to "operate respectfully towards the local policies, even accepting to introduce typical local products in our offer, as requested from the local commerce regulation". "We completely agree that the cultural and artistic heritage and the Italian historical town centres have to be protected and guaranteed, as well as the traditions and the historical small shops, but we cannot accept discriminatory regulations that damage the freedom of private initiative without being advantageous to anyone," McDonald's told the BBC in a statement.

But Florence's mayor Dario Nardella says they were not prejudiced in rejecting the bid to open a branch on the piazza, famous for its Gothic and Renaissance architecture. He told the city council earlier this year: "McDonald's has the right to submit an application, because this is permitted under the law, but we also have the right to say no."

This is the second high profile spat over an Italian location this year for McDonalds. Last month it was reported that cardinals at the Vatican had been angered by plans to open a branch in a piazza next to Saint Peter's Square.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:clap: Go Florence!!!

One of the many beautiful things about Italy, is an absence of this kind of western filth (at least, hardly any of it anyway). The last thing anyone needs to eat in Italy is bloody Maccas!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, San said:

:clap: Go Florence!!!

One of the many beautiful things about Italy, is an absence of this kind of western filth (at least, hardly any of it anyway). The last thing anyone needs to eat in Italy is bloody Maccas!

And the funny thing about this lawsuit is that they already have a zillion outlets in Italy, they applied to the city council for a permit as it's their right to do and so is the Florence city council's right to kindly decline. Piazza Duomo in Florence is not Milan's Duomo Square, it's small within the context of a smaller town. I can totally see why a McDonald's would feel out of place there. They could still ask for any other location in Florence's historic centre but no, what do they do? They sue the city :blink:

It's dumb, ridiculous and incredibly arrogant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^^ This is just a taste of what's to come with TTIP. Companies don't like your decisions, even if they are valid, will sue you because how dare you to interfere with the profits of those companies. Watch out Poland, you might get sued by a Burger chain because they are not allowed to open a restaurant in Auschwitz and can use the ovens to roast the meat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been in Italy a few times and always hated seeing major US chains in these historic and buetiful city centers. It partly ruins the aesethic and it seems difficult to keep them from over commercializing and expanding into sacred cultural spaces. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Raider of the lost Ark said:

^^^ This is just a taste of what's to come with TTIP. Companies don't like your decisions, even if they are valid, will sue you because how dare you to interfere with the profits of those companies. Watch out Poland, you might get sued by a Burger chain because they are not allowed to open a restaurant in Auschwitz and can use the ovens to roast the meat.

Totally agree. Well maybe that is a good thing to come out of a Trump presidency, he seems to be against NAFTA, TTIP, CETA and the likes. But then one thing is what they blabber about in a campaign another what they do once in office, clearly.

Such a pity that CETA seems to be going ahead in the end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Considering those treaties were very much in favor of the US and US companies, at least from my perspective, this certainly is a positive result. The fact that he wants to get rid of those rather shows that he has no real idea what's even in it. Or that he only sees the import side on it. U.S. companies, like food companies, that finally wanted to set foot into the European market will be angry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 09/11/2016 at 9:54 AM, XXL said:

And the funny thing about this lawsuit is that they already have a zillion outlets in Italy, they applied to the city council for a permit as it's their right to do and so is the Florence city council's right to kindly decline. Piazza Duomo in Florence is not Milan's Duomo Square, it's small within the context of a smaller town. I can totally see why a McDonald's would feel out of place there. They could still ask for any other location in Florence's historic centre but no, what do they do? They sue the city :blink:

It's dumb, ridiculous and incredibly arrogant.

it's just plain fucking disgusting, Basically they r sueing Italian tax payers, it's disgusting (repeat x3)...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On ‎23‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 3:20 PM, acko said:

it's just plain fucking disgusting, Basically they r sueing Italian tax payers, it's disgusting (repeat x3)...

IKR

And when you factor in the following it gets even more absurd and disgusting

 

They have some nerve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Martin B. said:

Team Firenze! :headbang:

 

All the way!! :laugh:

 

A fake mob scene in a real mob scene

Allaccia la cintura!

 

 

 

 

Let me out of my cage cause I'm dying  :headbang:

 

 

 

Regal Perfectionist Sun Avoiding Queen in Firenze

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...