FLORENCE, ITALY – The International restaurant company McDonald’s has applied to build a restaurant in the piazza Duomo, Florence, but the project is highly controversial.
Giovanni Bettarini, the city’s commissioner for economic development, made the first announcement, but thousands of people staged a protest, especially on social media. The online petition on Facebook with almost 10,000 members calling on the city to say No to McDonald’s in the Piazza Duomo.
After that movement, even the Mayor Dario Nardella announced on Facebook his opposition, but he’s not sure to have all the administrative weapons to stop it.
McDonald’s would be prepared to make a particular restaurant, with some products made with local foods, but the war against trash food in the center of the city continues.
The center of Florence have now houses shops of many international brands, including Apple and Hard Rock Cafe in the nearby Piazza della Repubblica.
Currently the McDonald’s restaurants are more than ten in Florence downtown and the suburbs.