Cover Interview
Paddy Cusack is the first McDonald’s franchisee in recent years to launch a new restaurant. His store is in Antrim, Northern Ireland
What did you do before opening your own McDonald’s restaurant? I was a director in a real estate advisory firm but I wanted to have my own business. I’ve a very transferable skillset – after all, business, whether you’re selling property or hamburgers, it’s all about the people and understanding how the business works. What I’ve come to learn is that McDonald’s, more than any other company I’ve ever worked with, is about people and ultimately that’s what makes it tick.
What qualities does a franchisee need? To have a head for business, certainly, but also to want to work with others, be able to motivate a team when under pressure, get the best out of them, to oversee, inspire and empower a large workforce. I’m lucky that I’ve found some really good people who are working well together. The important quality is your ability to connect with them. One of the things the training programme
gave me was a real appreciation of the culture – so what this or that crew member experiences every day. You can’t lose sight of the basics, because the day you do that, your standards drop and you start to lose customers. Obviously you need to be hardworking, very
well organised and disciplined with your time. The big thing is your ability to manage people and to manage all facets of the business as well… it helps to be process driven. You’re also there to protect and enhance the brand – one that’s firmly established, plus you’re a McDonald’s ambassador in your local community It’s very much a people- and customer-
focused business – more about behaviours than processes. At the end of the day, if you don’t give the customer a good experience, they’re going to go elsewhere. And that’s been drilled into me since day one.
You’re opening a new store in a new location as a new franchisee – a first for the brand in recent times in the UK. How did that happen? McDonald’s sounded me out about trying it and sourcing an area where there’s an opportunity for expansion. They kept me informed all along the way... In fact, the help and support from McDonald’s has been brilliant – as has that from
the wider McDonald’s franchising community. Others have supported with staff and advice and the whole McDonald’s community has been top class! So welcoming and supportive.
Would you recommend it to other people? Absolutely! My experience has been superb! What’s been reassuring is that the training and development behind the scenes is way above what I expected. That support, infrastructure and detail is why McDonald’s is the current franchisor of the year – they’re incredibly innovative in terms of product development and technology. They’ve become disruptors more than anything – the sales and guest count growth really speaks for itself.
How has life changed for you with McDonald’s and how do you see it going forward? You have to be engrossed in the business, you
do live, eat and breathe it! But it’s definitely a change for the better – it’s given me a whole new lease of life, running my own business with such a reputable brand, plus it’s increased my contact base and helped me raise my profile locally; McDonald’s help you to promote the business through community initiatives and the Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s all about taking a global brand and making it relevant in your area. We want to support the local community – that’s going to be our strong focus. Every day is a new challenge but it’s never one
that you’re facing alone – you can pick up the phone to six other franchisees or someone at head office. That’s the great thing about it. The ambition is to expand and grow the business, and when you do that you bring in managers to help run things. I always want to lead from the front, though – I’m that kind of person, I just want to make the best of it! n
16 | The Franchise Magazine 2019
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