The one-time home of the “ByWard Market raccoon” looks as if it’ll be back in service soon.
Preparation of a new McDonald’s outlet is being finalized near the intersection of Rideau and Dalhousie streets, just down the block from the restaurant chain’s former location at 99 Rideau.
The 99 Rideau site became known as the “World’s Worst McDonald’s” in several online clips due to regular late-night madness featuring brawls and disputes.
But mostly it was known for a client’s video of a man dragging a small raccoon from beneath his coat during one of the wild scuffles. The video was distributed widely on the internet.
The restaurant was closed down in 2023.
There has been no official word from McDonald’s about reopening in the Market, but there have been postings for jobs at the site at Rideau and Dalhousie for several weeks.
McDonald’s Canada president and CEO Michele Boudria, herself a former McDonald’s crew member from Aylmer, told Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at a recent meeting that the chain was in expansion mode, with five new Ottawa locations possible within the next year.
She didn’t mention specific locations, but said she wouldn’t rule out a ByWard Market location when the time was right.
“We are absolutely investing in Ottawa,” she said.
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