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family, so it was ideal moving to Carlisle, a stone’s throw from the Lake District! It’s picturesque there and the restaurant itself is absolutely splendid...


Any standout moments so far? When I got that call [confirming he passed the final stage of the selection process] well, if you could bottle up that feeling you get – and then franchise that bottle – you’d be a very rich person! It’s like nothing else! I just cheered and threw my arms up in the air – there’s no feeling like it: the initial elation and just sheer joy, then it turned into just this sense of relief … the realisation, almost settling into yourself that you’ve done it. You’ve achieved it! I can only imagine it being like taking Olympic Gold or winning the Champions League Final! Also, I was really proud when one of


our crew members won the prestigious McDonald’s Employee of the Year award. There were five overall winners and to know she was one of five, out of a huge number of people, was amazing!


How important is community to you? It’s what drew me to McDonald’s, that community engagement, whether at international level – sponsoring the World Cup – or at national and local level, such as supporting grassroots football, which we do in Carlisle. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve managed


to achieve with our team here. We work with Carlisle Key, a charity helping the vulnerable, that arranges housing and employment opportunities for young adults under the age of 26. In the last 12 months, we’ve started working with a local food bank and crew at my restaurant can be paid to work a shift for a charity of their choice. And we’re creating a bespoke mental health awareness course to provide training for my team at Shift Runner level and above. Having entrusted their brand with me –


it’s my responsibility to make McDonald’s that little bit better. McDonald’s is about so much more than making delicious food quickly. Customers can be anybody and everybody – the barrister, the doctor, the cabbie, a single mum with young kids… it’s a place I think, that for a brief moment, gives them that little bit of, I suppose, respite from their busy day.


16 | The Franchise Magazine 2025


What advice do you have for anyone considering a McDonald’s franchise? To coin a well-known phrase… Just do it! I’ve never looked back – it’s the best decision we’ve ever made as a family, moving from Manchester to Carlisle for the opportunity. For us, the work life-balance is better than we’ve ever had it. Ever! Also, McDonald’s is a people business


so you need to be confident that you can run and lead teams, be confident in your ability to manage people, be values-led, be confident in yourself and have a vision. I think if you are all of those things, if you are strong, if you’re passionate about delivering excellent services – and I mean truly passionate about being the best –


and you’re prepared to work hard, then McDonald’s is the place for you.


What are your plans for the future? I said from the very start, I want to add value to the brand, and I want to deliver, through the custodianship of my McDonald’s, an enhanced offer to customers. I’ve got ambitions and see the potential for growth – there are so many possibilities to grow your business, that’s what I’m really excited about. At the moment I’m making sure that my structure within the restaurant can facilitate that growth, that I’ve got a strong, dynamic, values-led leadership team in a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment.


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