Key Highlights
- A Wyoming man was banned from McDonald’s after driving into town with his horses to pick up horse feed and a burger.
- The incident occurred when the McDonald’s manager banned Hatch due to farm animals not being allowed in the Drive Thru for liability reasons.
- Hatch claims he trained his horses Coal and Onyx in this spur-of-the-moment trip, but will no longer return to the restaurant.
Unexpected Ban at Fast Food Chain
A Wyoming man found himself banned from McDonald’s after a peculiar drive-thru experience. Allen Hatch, 53, took his horses Coal and Onyx into town with the intention of picking up some horse feed and perhaps a quick burger.
The Incident
Upon reaching McDonald’s in Powell, Wyoming, Hatch decided to treat himself to a cheeseburger and fries at the drive-thru. The initial interaction was positive; both the staff and customers were excited about seeing horses in the restaurant’s queue. However, this positive atmosphere quickly turned sour when the manager intervened.
“The young lady at the first window was very excited to see horses in the drive–thru,” Hatch told the Cowboy State Daily. “But the fast food chain’s manager was less thrilled, telling me that farm animals were not allowed in the Drive Thru.”
The Manager’s Perspective
According to a worker at the McDonald’s site in Powell, the manager involved was not working on the day of the incident. The worker stated that they had heard about the situation and that the restaurant received numerous calls regarding it.
“To my knowledge, we just ask that horses don’t come through the Drive Thru,” said the worker. “The one thing she was very clear about is what happens if they ‘s*** in my drive-through, and there’s no one to clean it up.”
Hatch’s Response
Hatch expressed his disappointment but accepted the ban as a necessary measure for liability reasons.
“This particular pair are trained but they’re new to me,” he said. “It’s about making sure they’re traffic safe. The McDonald’s trip was ancillary to wondering how they’d do, and they did really well.”
The Future of Wagons and Horses
For now, Hatch has no plans to return to the drive-thru with his horses. “After that experience, I won’t be blessing them with my presence again,” he said.
Hatch intends to continue using his wagon but limit it to family and friends. He also expressed interest in training mule colts, stating, “I can tie the little mule colts behind the wagon and take them with me. They’re going to learn what moving wagons are and the noises that are associated with them.”
The incident highlights the ongoing debate about adapting corporate policies for rural traditions versus maintaining strict safety regulations in fast food establishments.
