D.C. Eateries Grimace at Trump’s Fast-Food Kick
When Donald Trump opted for mountains of McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s to feed the Clemson University football team Monday, it seemed like just another chapter of the president’s well-known love affair with junk food.
But for local D.C. restaurants or caterers, it was a lost opportunity, made all the more bitter by the fact that their bottom lines have suffered since the government shutdown weeks ago. Instead of giving some local establishments some presidential-level exposure, Trump lavished praise and attention on the biggest fast food corporations in the world.
“This is a precarious time for local restaurants because they have been negatively impacted by the shutdown with restaurants reporting a decrease in sales up to sixty percent,” Kathy E. Hollinger, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, told The Daily Beast. “Local restaurants are feeling frustrated and scared for the viability of their business as this shutdown continues and would likely appreciate support and a boost as some have had to reduce hours and are struggling to meet payroll.”