McDonald’s store owner says working for Macca’s changed his life.
Dave Whalley says he’s been to the “University of McDonald’s” and says many other graduates have gone on to success in other fields.
But the “grad” he remembers best is a friend who left McDonald’s for a high-paid career in information technology. Interestingly, he missed the work culture and opportunities so much, he ended up returning to life under the golden arches.
McDonald’s are looking for staff these days and Whalley’s story exemplifies the professional opportunities a job at “Macca’s” can provide. He joined the company 36 years ago, aged 21, and is now the owner of five McDonald’s stores in Christchurch.
He’s passionate about the brand and scoffs outright at the minority who see McDonald’s as a “dead end job”. “When you work there, they wrap you up, take care of you. There are so many opportunities in this company.”
There were no McDonald’s restaurants in the South Island in 1987, when a young Whalley noticed marketing for training opportunities in the company: “I’d never been out of the South Island. I’d never stepped foot in McDonald’s.”
He applied for the job and was accepted, moving to the North Island – first Whangarei then Auckland – to train: “The training was (and is) very detailed. It’s acknowledged as being world-class. McDonald’s is a people business; you are taught how to manage and handle people, staff, and customers. People are at the heart of everything.”
By the end of 1987, Whalley was in Christchurch again – charged with opening a store in Merivale- the first in the South Island.
“We opened with 300 staff [in Merivale] and we were flat out right from the start,” he says.
From trainee to restaurant manager, then operations manager – Whalley’s vertical career trajectory led, ultimately, to the purchase of his own restaurant. It was located in Greymouth, he oversaw it being built – then bought the store.
He’d managed stores for other owners for 16 years and knew all about life on the shop floor. But owning a restaurant in an unfamiliar town was a new challenge: “I really learned so much; how to run a business, how to engage with people in a small centre. It was a real learning curve.”
In 2007 he sold the Greymouth restaurant and purchased a store in Ashburton. Now, in 2023, he has five of them. “That’s why I disagree when people say that McDonald’s is a dead end job,” he says. “I have learned everything I know about business, running a restaurant, managing staff, from the University of McDonald’s”
Whalley’s employs 600 staff over his five stores; a diverse group that ranges in age from teenagers to those well past retirement age. His oldest employee is nearly 80: “He does maintenance work around the restaurants,” he says.
McDonald’s long opening hours and range of workplace options means it can cater to wide range of vocational needs. There are opportunities for everyone: retirees looking for extra cash, young stay-at-home parents who have a few hours to spare in the evening when their partners get home, and students who need to the pay the rent.
As people’s circumstances change, so can their employment. “Someone might be looking after children during the day and working here in the evenings,” he says by way of example. “When those children go to school, the hours can change to suit.”
As Whalley’s journey exemplifies, there are plenty of opportunities for career growth as well. As well as training and internal promotions, there are those opportunities to become a franchisee. Those who take that leap can access a wealth of resources.
“Once someone enters the McDonald’s franchise system, they are really taken on board. There is a huge amount of guidance and help.”
From HR and legal services, to operational support, head office works alongside new franchisees to ensure that the business thrives. The happiness and wellbeing of staff ins store is equally important: “Happy staff make a happy business – it’s extremely important.”
This was particularly evident during Covid. Whalley says the franchisees worked closely to support each other. “It was wonderful to see how everyone pulled together.”
The other proof of McDonald’s value as an employer is the quality of its alumni: “I’m really proud of some of the people who have left Macca’s and gone off to do other things,” he says. “So many people come back and say their time at Macca’s gave them the skills and background needed for their jobs.”
Whalley’s own career success, and that of his staff, is an example of the excellence that McDonald’s can foster: “I was operator of the year in 2022. My staff have been recognised at high levels: three store managers winning manager of the year. There are so many opportunities here for people who are committed to their career.”
Those interested in finding out more about the career opportunities at McDonald’s can do so by clicking here.