Marseilles residents turn McDonald’s into community foodbank

A closed McDonald’s has been transformed into a lifeline for Marseille and now operates as a food bank.

In between the majority Muslim neighbourhoods of Saint-Marthe and Saint-Barthélémy sits the first McDonald’s to be built in the ‘banlieues’ (suburbs) around France’s major cities.

The fast-food restaurant was opened thanks to help from government funding in order to provide jobs in these areas, known for high levels of poverty and unemployment.

The McDo, as it is known in France, employed 77 locals on protected contracts, and provided those in the neighbourhoods with a place to eat.

This was up until 2018, when the company decided to shut the site down despite sit-ins, strikes, and even the manager, Kamel Guemari, threatening to light himself on fire in an attempt to save the livelihoods of his employees.

Its closing down was a blow to this marginalised community, who faced some of the harshest effects of the pandemic.

‘When the first lockdown struck, people were more worried about dying of starvation than COVID around here,’ says volunteer Fati Bouarua.

In response to the crisis, Bouarua, Guemari and the other employees rallied together to resurrect the building for a new purpose, and a new name L’Apres M.

Initially, the project was to feed homeless citizens, after former employees took over the building.

Local farmers donated fruits and vegetables, shops offered food and funds were raised by inspired locals.

After a social media campaign caught the attention of residents, a co-operative effort helped transform the McDo into a food bank serving over 1,000 people a week.

There are now over 47 local associations involved in keeping the place running, and 30-40 volunteers who give their time to feed their community.

Inside, the old McDonald’s has been transformed- volunteers have painted over the original décor with colourful paint and made it into a social hub.