I noticed this in the mcdonalds parking lot, so I poked around in it with a stick to try to clear the drainage path.
I came to the conclusion that it has no outlet at all, it’s a permanent stagnant pond. It stinks pretty bad.
Perhaps. I don't know where OP is, but there are laws regarding drainage though, which can drastically vary from one area to another depending on various factors such as flood risks and water shortage risks, amongst other factors. So a ~$5 fix might work, that doesn't mean it meets code or legal requirements.
I do notice in OP's photo that it leads to a somewhat shallow ditch that has about a joke of a tiny and potentially easily blocked culvert towards the top of the photo, but I don't know where OP is located nor do I know the drainage requirements of the area.
So, sure, perhaps a simple ~$5 gravel fix might do the trick, but there might actually be even worse code violations there that a simple band-aid fix won't resolve. Do it right the first time, or fix it right this time, and there shouldn't be any problems.
$5 will buy you a plunger, but $500 might remove the actual clog from your sewage lines. Fix it quick and cheap, it might last you a week, or fix it right and reliably, and it'll meet code and last you many more years.
McDonald's can totally afford to fix that right.