Martin Cuthbert - McDonalds franchise owner
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Martin Cuthbert first contacted McDonald's in 1994 and became the franchisee of the Grantham restaurant in November 1995. Martin previously owned a small manufacturing business but felt he wanted more 'direct interaction' with his customers. He says "I've always been a big fan of McDonald's; the food, the experience, everything!"Martin successfully operated and developed the Grantham restaurant over the next three years and this earned him the opportunity to take a second restaurant, at nearby Melton Mowbray, in June 1998. Martin enjoys the flexibility which comes with being his own boss and says, "no two days are the same. I like to roll my sleeves up, and get stuck in. Best of all, I love dealing with my customers face to face". Whilst McDonald's restaurants have become familiar to the British public over the past 25 years, the ownership structure of many of those restaurants is less well known. Today over 30% of McDonald's 1,075 restaurants in the UK are owned and operated by a growing number of franchisees.
McDonald's started Franchising in the U.K. in 1986 and will have almost 200 franchisees by the end of this year. These franchisees are independent business people who have left corporate careers or sold their existing businesses to develop new Business Opportunities with the McDonald's. Why have they done this? Although the selection process is rigorous, with candidates required to spend around 9 months training before they can take a franchise, the benefits can be attractive. Amongst these are running a business using a well known brand name established over 40 years, proven business format, excellent support, the security of a twenty year franchise term, and, for the more ambitious, the opportunity to own more than one restaurant.
McDonald's franchisees come from a wide variety of backgrounds, not necessarily catering. Individuals should have a high level of achievement and responsibility within their existing careers or businesses. More important is the demonstration of enthusiasm for running a restaurant business, and taking a 'hands on' approach in working shoulder to shoulder with your staff, and being committed to providing a great customer experience. McDonald's will only franchise restaurants to individuals, not companies or partnerships.
