Across East Asia, 24-hour McDonald's have become a sanctuary for the downtrodden, providing a warm, dry place to sleep. In major cities in East Asia like Beijing, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, people that are shut out of shelter systems or disowned by their families can find a warm, dry, and cozy place to slumber every night.

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International fast food chain McDonald's is well-known for their various chicken meals that are tasty and budget-friendly. These restaurants also host occasions such as book clubs and birthday parties. But at night, right after the restaurant's door closes for customers, it opens for homeless people who dig in on leftover foods and stake out spots for sleeping.

McRefugees (the name used to describe the homeless people who seek temporary shelter at McDonald's) disappear first thing in the morning. Some allegedly even use plastic forks for combing their hair.

In mainland China, more than half of the 2,200 McDonald's outlets normally invite unfortunate people to spend their night in their restaurants. Most McDonald's stores are now open 24/7. Other restaurants usually might kick wanderers out of their establishments.

Regina Hui, spokeswoman for McDonald's in China, said that McDonald's welcomes everyone to visit their restaurants anytime. However, it is the decision of franchise owners welcome these people. A spokeswoman of the company's head office in Oak Brook, Illinois, stated in an email that the company is definitely a welcoming place for everyone, but they wouldn't consider it as a policy.

For decades, McDonald's has established an image of community, from their building structures to adaptive menus. Outlets in Beijing serve taro pies and soy milk with fried bread, other than the usual burgers and fries.

McDonald's has been the to-go-to place for various meet ups, regardless of what the reason may be. 

TagsMcdonalds, homeless, Community