(Chicago, IL) -  A lawsuit has been filed in a Chicago Federal Court against McDonald's Restaurants.  The legal suite was brought forward by 52 African-Americans who were previous franchisees of McDonalds restaurants, 

The former store owners allege the chain placed them in "substandard" and less profitable restaurant locations in inner city neighborhoods and failed to provide the same support and opportunities given to other franchise owners.  As a result, they claim their average store sales between 2011 and 2016 were $700,000 annually below the national store average, which lead to several bankruptcies.

The lawsuit seeks up to $1 Billion in damages for the plaintiffs in the case.