Day 003 - 30 Jun 94 - Page 04
1 Q. That went on for two and a half years?
A. Yes, supplemented by holiday breaks when I was able to
2 return to my family home in Cleveland, and at Christmas or
Easter or during the summer be able to slip right back
3 into a McDonald's work environment, to put some money into
my pocket to pay for that Cincinatti education.
4
Q. If you can remember -- it is a long time ago -- can you
5 give us, please, a brief, general account of how you found
it as a young man, a school boy and then a student,
6 working for McDonald's in those days?
A. It was hard work, but it was amazingly challenging in
7 that the group of people I worked with in this particular
restaurant made a tremendous team. There was a physical
8 nature to the business. There was a strategic long term
"satisfy the customer" thrust to the business.
9
The owner operator or franchisee I worked for at the time
10 was somewhat of a model to me, as almost a father figure,
as a leader of people as we built this business from
11 something very small to something which was quite
successful. I learned a lot from him.
12
Q. Mr. Preston, I do not know whether you mentioned his name;
13 if you did, I did not catch it. What was the name of the
person that owned the franchise or license?
14 A. I did not mention it but his name was Robert Rhea.
15 Q. Did you continue to work for McDonald's after leaving
university?
16 A. I did. I worked for McDonald's in Cleveland from the
time of about 1968 until I came to the UK except for a
17 brief period of time in the American military.
18 Q. When you came to the UK in 1974, did you come with
Mr. Bob Rhea?
19 A. Yes, I came at his request along with two other
Americans to set up the operation, committed to spend
20 three, four, maybe five years getting established, in
establishing the operations department of the company.
21
Q. Was there at that time a UK subsidiary of the corporation
22 or were you going to start a joint venture or licensed
operation?
23 A. This was a joint venture. A 45:45:10 joint venture
between the corporation, Bob Rhea and an English gentleman
24 owning the 10 per cent by the name of Jeffery Wade.
25 Q. At what date what is now McDonald's Restaurants Limited
become a subsidiary of the corporation in America?
26 A. 1983.
27 Q. So for nine years, at least, you operated as a joint
venture partnership?
28 A. That is correct.
29 Q. Where was the first store opened in this country?
A. The first one was opened in South East London at
30 Woolwich, October 1st, 1974.
