McDonald's CEO concerned about high crime in Chicago

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski expressed concern about the effects of crime on business in Chicago and called on city officials to address a situation that is causing businesses to flee the Windy City. "The fact is that there are fewer large companies headquartered in Chicago this year than last year," Kempczinski pointed out during a speech Wednesday at the Economic Club of Chicago.

The CEO of the burger chain noted that the company will keep its headquarters in the city, but sounded the alarm by calling for government leaders to do more for safety. Kempczinski mentioned that the company's workers, returning to on-site work after the pandemic, are encountering scenes of crimes, poverty and drugs in Chicago, as recounted in The Wall Street Journal.

Everywhere I go, I encounter the same question. "What's going on in Chicago?"

Corporate flight and criminality

Chris Kempczinski's remarks came after many high-profile Chicago-based companies relocated earlier this year.

Boeing relocated to Arlington, Virginia, while Caterpillar moved from Deerfield to Texas. Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin (Citidel), a critic of crime in the city, announced in June that he was moving the headquarters of his investment firm to Miami.

Concern about crime is not unique to McDonalds. Other U.S. restaurants and retailers reported an increase in violent crime in their establishments. The Starbucks coffee shop chain announced in July that they would close 16 coffee shops around the country, all in Democratic cities, after workers reported crime and drug use in the coffee shops.

Data from the Chicago Police Department show that, compared to last year, robberies are up 65% in the city.