Does McDonald’s in Adelaide’s Hindley St win the crown of the worst in Australia after rat sightings, staff attacks?

Stunning wine regions, vibrant festivals … and the worst Macca’s in Australia. We take a look inside the fast food joint putting Adelaide on the map for all the wrong reasons.

It’s the rambunctious McDonald’s outlet known around Australia and the world for all the wrong reasons.

And this week, it’s made headlines for an unlikely new item – rat-nibbled burger buns, according to staff.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a night out on Adelaide’s nightclub strip, chances are you’ve stumbled in for a late-night snack at Macca’s Hindley St to be met with rowdy crowds of drunken revellers all fanging for a cheeseburger.

But while it’s ideally located for hungry party people, the fast food joint has been plagued with scandal over the years.

From workers spat on, a putrid shop floor photo beamed across the globe, to the latest concerning debacle: reports from workers of a rat infestation, here’s a look inside what could be Adelaide’s least-appealing tourist attraction, which has become as synonymous with our city as the Mall’s Balls.

McScurry: Rats spotted ‘almost daily’

This week, The Advertiser reported workers’ claims of seeing “nibbled” burger buns in the restaurant, with sightings of the pest “almost daily”.

But when a union representative went to investigate the allegations of unhygienic and dangerous conditions at the Hindley Street store, they say they were denied entry by the fast food giant.

One worker, who asked not to be identified, told The Advertiser there were numerous health and safety issues at the restaurant – including a “rat infestation”, falling tiles, a dangling light and roof leaks.

A rodent has been photographed on the premises, including one nibbling on what appears to be cheese on the floor in a rear storage area, while in another image taken this week, a packet of burger buns also appears to have been nibbled on.

Would you like rat with that? Picture: Supplied

Buns believed to have been eaten be a rat. Picture: Supplied

The worker said members of staff reported seeing rats – including a dead rodent – in the restaurant “almost daily” for about six weeks but said “nothing was being done”.

“It has become that common people are just getting used to it which is obviously not very good,” the worker said.

The worker said a recent roof leak had also sent water “gushing” into the kitchen and workers were told to “just keep working”.

Workers complained to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, which sent a representative to the store to investigate the alleged contraventions but was prevented from entering the store.

In a published report to SafeWork SA the union representative noted the issues raised by staff members included a “rat infestation”, complaints about inadequate airconditioning and a lack of experienced supervision for workers during weekend shifts.

A spokesman for SafeWork SA said the watchdog was “aware of the allegations and is conducting inquiries”.

– Jordana Schriever

Woman jumps counter in brazen theft

A northern suburbs woman, 19, was arrested following an incident at the Hindley St haunt in December 2022.

Video of the incident shows the woman throwing a bottle at staff and taking food and drinks from behind the counter.

“What? I’ll beat you up and I’ll leave,” she yells at staff. “Oh what’s that, what’s in that?”

She also calls one of the staff members a “dumbass b***h”.

The woman is also seen going into fridges and taking food from the kitchen, taking a doughnut and taking a bite out of it before she is restrained by police.

The teen was charged with disorderly behaviour, property damage and assault.

Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association spokesman Jordan Mumford said incidents like these were “all too common” on Hindley St and more security was needed to protect employees.

– Kitty Barr

“Macca’s spitter”: Workers abused in shock footage

In reports which garnered national headlines and sent shocking footage viral, a different 19-year-old woman was arrested for abusing and spitting at staff at the store that same year.

On Friday, October 7, about 1.30pm, a woman later identified as Mia Miller, punched a staff member in the head at the Hindley St store, before throwing a drink and other items at staff. She then spat at a staff member.

19-year-old Mia Miller faced court over the incident. Picture: Supplied

Footage of the attack went viral. Picture: Supplied

Police attended a Port Noarlunga address and arrested Ms Miller and charged her with disorderly behaviour, two counts of aggravated assault (shop worker) and committing a prohibited act with human biological material.

In footage of the attack, the woman hurls herself at the counter multiple times and says to a manager who is on the phone “you hit me in the face bro”.

The manager yells back “no I did not.” The woman then said “yes you f***ing did, there’s a video you stupid f***”.

The woman throws food and what appears to be packets of sugar from behind the counter at staff, before leaning over and spitting.

Other staff members attempt to calm the woman from behind the counter as she continues yelling and throwing items.

In June this year, the teenage drug user was spared a jail cell – but a court said she will be forever known as the “Macca’s Spitter”.

In sentencing, Magistrate Michael Barnett noted penalties for offending such as Miller’s had been increased to protect retail workers and, ordinarily, conduct such as hers would see her imprisoned.

However, he said her youth, lack of prior offending and traumatic background warranted another path – as did her ongoing public humiliation.

Ms Miller, who apologised on TV and asked she not be made “the lightning rod” for harsh penalties, pleaded guilty to the charges.

Barnett said he was satisfied that, in the months since the attack and her apology, Miller had developed insight and empathy and now accepted she was solely responsible for her crimes.

He further ordered she pay levies and costs, including a victim of crime levy, totalling $1400.

– Kitty Barr, Sean Fewster

Filthy 2009 photo makes international headlines

In April 2009, Adelaide found itself in the international spotlight for a filthy photo of the infamous takeaway outlet.

Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide reeled at a video taken at the McDonald’s restaurant on Hindley St at about 3am on a Sunday.

The story accompanying the video, filmed by a 22-year old student from Hawthorndene, became one of Advertiser.com.au’s most clicked stories.

It included images of fast food wrappers piled over the restaurant floor as diners carefully negotiated their way through the filthy rubble, and later prominently featured on US website the Drudge Report and the UK’s Daily Mail.

Move over, Malls Balls, the grotty Hindley St Macca's is Adelaide's most noted attraction.

Then-McDonald’s state manager Josie Mangini told The Advertiser at the time staff at the Hindley St outlet had been “counselled” over the mess.

“We have been working closely with the team at the restaurant to ensure they completely understand and consistently implement the procedures that McDonald’s has in place to ensure restaurant cleanliness,’’ Ms Mangini said.

“The crew at Hindley St restaurant has also been concerned about this issue and has been working extremely hard to ensure the correct procedures are followed at all times.’’

Others described the scene as being from the “third world” while independent MP Bob Such said it was a “health hazard”.

– Andrew Dowdell

‘My three years as a Macca’s crew member’

Kitty Barr knows all too well the horrors of working at Hindley St Macca’s, recalling “coming home crying” to her parents after multiple shifts.

In a piece penned in 2022 after the shocking attack footage emerged, titled My three years as a Macca’s crew member,she wrote:

“Unfortunately, I didn’t end every shift thinking “I’m lovin’ it”.

It’s a typical first job and I was only 15 when I applied to be a Macca’s crew member just down the road at Rundle Mall.

… Little did my 15-year-old self realise that working in hospitality wasn’t anything like the computer games and shows I had watched as a kid.

I quickly got used to the customer anger and abuse.”

Kitty Barr said she quickly got used to the customer anger and abuse working at the notorious Macca's. Picture: Supplied

“ … Every shift was frantic, dirty and deflating with angry customers demanding food and managers who would sit in the office and wait for the rush to be over.

A memorable shift for me was the time someone was very unhappy with their Quarter Pounder and instead of just telling me so, threw it at me.

Another customer decided to share his unhappiness by getting right up in my face and yelling “I’m watching you” because his fries weren’t full enough.”

Ms Barr said it wasn’t only the customers who made her job hell, it was the management, “crappy wages” and late night hours.

When she left, she said she “wasn’t thanked for my service, I was simply deleted from the work group chat and got on with life”.

Originally published as Does McDonald’s in Adelaide’s Hindley St win the crown of the worst in Australia after rat sightings, staff attacks?