I was born with ketchup in my veins. I wish I could take credit for that colorful description, but the founder of McDonald’s, Ray Kroc, is the one who brilliantly penned that phrase. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have grown up in a home where the art of crafting the perfect hamburger was a cherished tradition. My father, Guy, was among the pioneering franchisees who joined hands with Ray Kroc in the 1960s. As a young man, my weekends and summer months were filled with sizzling grills, bustling drive-thrus, and dining rooms that I made sure were spotless.
After graduating from Dartmouth College and a short stint on Wall Street as an investment banking analyst, the entrepreneurial sirens came calling, and I ventured out to California to acquire my first McDonald’s franchise. My dreams of becoming an independent, small business owner were realized in 1993.
After more than three decades as a McDonald’s franchisee, I look back at the path I have chosen to walk and am proud and humbled by what I have accomplished. I have built an enterprise that generates $80 million per year in revenue. Throughout this journey, I have had the privilege of employing, mentoring, and collaborating with thousands of hard-working individuals. Each one of them has played a pivotal role in polishing the Golden Arches of what is undeniably the most successful quick-serve food platform in the annals of restaurant companies.
Through my experience as a successful restaurateur, I have been able to share my experience and perspectives with others. One of the most satisfying aspects of my chosen entrepreneurial career has been the ability to mentor up-and-coming business owners and various F&B brands. I have loved the challenge of building my own franchise business. I have co-founded several awesome restaurant startups. I have served in extraordinary leadership roles to support the brands that I have been entrusted to oversee and to defend the vitality of the broader restaurant community.
In every leadership role I've embraced, I've strived to champion the brands entrusted to my care while fiercely advocating for the vitality of our broader restaurant community. After thirty years immersed in this vibrant industry, it still feels like day one—fresh with opportunities and ripe for growth. Ketchup in my veins, indeed!
Describing yourself as "a successful restaurateur" when you have 18 McDonald's franchises is just
He called himself an entrepreneur for joining one of the world's most successful franchises.
I woke up one morning with this great new innovative idea: what if I invested my inheritance in an existing company?