The inspirational story of the founder of McDonald’s
Story: Based on the cognitive view of reality, it is described as an abnormal phenomenon. It is a literary genre that focuses on the description of the development of events. Emphasis on the vividness and coherence of the plot, which is more suitable for oral narration. Something has happened. Or imagine a story. Below is the inspirational story of the founder of McDonald’s that I brought to you. I hope it can help you!
Inspirational Story of the Founder of McDonald's 1
Crocker's family was in poor circumstances when he was young. He only attended high school for one year before dropping out. He played piano in several touring bands and served as a music program director for a Chicago radio station. Since 1929, Crocker has been engaged in sales work for the next 25 years. He first helped people sell real estate in Florida, and then sold paper cups in the Midwest of the United States. As a salesman, he went through many setbacks and failed many times. Crocker later recalled: "After a failed real estate sale in Florida, I was completely broke and penniless. I had no coat, no raincoat, not even a pair of gloves. I drove into Chicago through the freezing cold. When I got home, the street was freezing."
In 1937, Crocker was the owner of a small company that sold milk mixing machines. The milk mixer is a machine that can mix and stir 5 kinds of wheat milk at the same time. He withstood the impact of the Second World War and his business was bleak, but he could barely maintain his business. In the 1950s, Crocker, who had reached the age of destiny, was still a small boss and was about to die in obscurity.
However, the chance of success is equal for everyone. The key lies in whether you are good at discovering opportunities and seizing them to the end. The opportunity for success can come from a sale, a transaction, a job, or even a meal. In 1954, the 51-year-old Crocker seized the opportunity to make his fortune by chance.
In 1937, a pair of Jewish brothers, Mike McDonald and Dick McDonald, were affected by the economic depression and had to leave home after graduating from high school and came to California from the east coast of the United States. Find new employment opportunities. They opened a small movie theater but eventually chose to run a drive-in restaurant. In 1943, by studying restaurant revenue over the past three years, they found that 80% of revenue came from hamburgers, not ribs. This accidental discovery actually spurred a revolution in the food service industry.
As a result, the Mack Brothers began to mainly sell these hamburgers for 15 cents each, and made major changes in their business methods, using self-service dining, using paper cutlery, and providing fast service. This unique way of running a hamburger diner is a huge success. In July 1952, American Restaurant Magazine introduced the amazing achievements brought about by McDonald's new concept in the form of a cover story. Then, the McDonald brothers began to establish a chain store and personally designed the golden double arch sign. By 1954, there were 10 McDonald's hamburger restaurants in the chain, and the annual turnover reached US$200,000. Despite this, the short-sighted McDonald brothers failed to realize the great potential of their invention.
At this moment, the legendary figure Crocker walked into the McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino City. He determined at a glance that McDonald's had unlimited prospects, which led to historic changes in McDonald's.
That was one day in 1954. Crocker, as the owner of a milk mixing machine, discovered that the restaurant opened by the Mai brothers in San Bernardino ordered 8 milk mixing machines at once. . In the past, no one had to buy so many machines at once. Due to business needs, he thought it was necessary to find out what was going on, so he rushed to San Bernardino.
Compared with countless hamburger restaurants at that time, the restaurant opened by the McDonald brothers seemed to have no big difference in appearance. But McDonald's rocked Kroc in its own special way. It was noon, and the small parking lot was packed with people. There were as many as 150 people queuing up in front of the McDonald's restaurant. McDonald's waiters work quickly and can hand over the food ordered by customers within 15 seconds. Crocker had never seen this kind of operation before.
"I've never stood in line for a hamburger." Crocker said loudly, hoping to attract the attention of customers.
"Oh," someone among the guests immediately said, "You may not know that the food here is low-priced and of good quality, the restaurant is clean, and the service is attentive. What's more, the speed is so fast, despite the long queue, You can buy it in a moment. I am a regular customer here. Sir, why don't you give it a try?" After hearing what the customer said, Crocker immediately realized that the Mai brothers had entered a building. "Gold Mine". He immediately went into the store to find the two Jews and asked them why they didn't open more restaurants if their business was so good. At that time, what he was thinking about was just milk mixing machines. If every McDonald's restaurant bought 8 of his machines, he would You will get rich. However, Dick McDonald shook his head, pointed to the nearby hillside and said, "Do you see that house up there? That's our home. I like that place. If there are too many chain restaurants, we I was so busy that I didn’t want to go home.”
Obviously, the Mai brothers are in a “gold mine” and do not know “gold”.
With many years of experience, Crocker realized that the opportunity had come. He set his sights on McDonald's and was determined to open a chain of restaurants. The next day, he negotiated with the Mai brothers. The Mai brothers soon agreed to give him the right to open chain stores across the country, but the conditions were quite harsh, stipulating that Crocker could only extract 1.9% of the chain store's turnover as service fees, of which only 1.4% belonged to Crocker. Rock's, 0.5% goes to the McDonald brothers. Crocker, who wanted to do something big, accepted this condition without hesitation.
On March 2, 1955, Crocker founded the McDonald's chain. His first McDonald's restaurant opened in Desiprus City in April of the same year. In September, a second restaurant opened in Fresno, California. Three months later, a third restaurant was opened in Resard, California. Crocker, a former salesman, fully demonstrated his sales talent and opened branches faster and faster. By 1960, Crocker already owned 228 McDonald's restaurants, with a turnover of US$37.8 million. The McDonald's brothers took 0.5% - US$189,000 in profits, while the McDonald's chain system had only one annual turnover this year. Earned $77,000. As the scale expands, the McDonald's brothers will earn more profits from spot checks. Moreover, according to the provisions of the contract that year, Crocker was not allowed to make any changes to the quick service system established by the McDonald brothers. However, in fact, Crocker was at least Hundreds of small improvements were made. The rule that McDonald's must not go too far has seriously hindered the further development of McDonald's business. This forced Crocker to make the decision to buy out McDonald's.
In early 1961, Crocker and the Mack brothers began negotiations to transfer the rights to McDonald's. But the Mai brothers made an astonishing offer: They won’t sell it for $2.7 million! Each of the brothers paid $1 million, and paid $700,000 in taxes, and it must be in cash. Crocker almost fainted. He put down the phone and forced himself to calm down. They set the price so high knowing that he couldn't afford so much money. Their intention was very obvious, they just didn't want Crocker to have control.
Crocker thought again and again, weighed the pros and cons, and finally agreed to the conditions of the Mai brothers. Crocker and his talented financial chief Sanaben tried their best to borrow $2.7 million and bought the name, trademark, copyright and cooking formula of McDonald's restaurants. At this point, all McDonald's fast food restaurants in the United States are under the name of Kroc. Although the company's name is still McDonald's, it has nothing to do with the McDonald brothers. The two Mai brothers are the founders of McDonald's, but they are obviously not people who do big business. Crocker said afterwards: "They were younger than me, but they all gave up. And I couldn't give up."
When signing the final text of the contract, the Mai brothers went back on their word and transferred St. Bernard to the contract. Dinno's McDonald's restaurants were excluded from the deal. They have a lot of affection for this store. It was the first store they built and the birthplace of the entire McDonald's world. Although Crocker also regarded this store as the most valuable part of the transaction, considering the overall situation, he had to give up.
However, Crocker did not forget this symbolic restaurant. He later fought back and bought a vacant land near the San Bernardino store and built a restaurant that was exactly the same as the original store. McDonald's restaurant. Since the McDonald's name had been bought out by Crocker, the new store he built was called "McDonald's," while the old McDonald's store was renamed "Big Mac." Unexpectedly, as a result, the new store's business began to prosper, but the old store plummeted and its vitality was severely damaged.
Because many regular customers thought that McDonald's had moved, they all ran to the new store, and no one paid attention to the store called "Big Mike". In fact, the products sold by the two stores are the same, but the results are completely different. This shows the intrinsic value of the name "McDonald's".
This time it was the Mai brothers' turn to be worried. In 1968, they simply sold the Baokou store, which had been in a life-and-death dispute with Crocker in the past! After that, the store had a bad fate. After changing owners several times, there was no improvement, so it had to be converted into a record store.
Where are the Mai brothers today? One passed away in 1971, and the other lived a comfortable life. Obviously, his $1 million must have been invested in better industries. But it is certain that no matter where he invests, it will not be as good as owning McDonald's. If he still owns 0.5% of the royalties, his wealth will be immeasurable! From 1961 to the early 1980s, McDonald's sales reached $77 billion. According to the original agreement, the two McDonald's brothers could earn $388 million. US dollars in royalties, but in 1985, McDonald's sales reached US$11 billion, and they could earn an extra US$55 million a year! This is really "smart but wrong".
Freed from the constraints, Crocker was finally free to express himself, and he used his own methods to the fullest.
McDonald’s needs talents with a strong enterprising spirit. Crocker said: "What I want is people who are dedicated to their careers. If you just want to make money to support your family and live a comfortable life, don't come to McDonald's."
Job seekers at McDonald's There was an endless stream of people. They have to go through strict assessments, most of them are eliminated, and only those with the most potential to succeed are hired.
The average age of McDonald’s branch managers is 35 years old. Most of them have achieved considerable success in other industries and have considerable numbers in their bank accounts. Crocker's guiding philosophy in recruiting was that in order to keep out those who were incompetent or mediocre in performance, the company set the initial cash investment very high.
It costs US$110,000 to US$125,000 to acquire a McDonald's franchise, half of which must be cash, and the other half can be applied for a loan. Once the funds were secured, it was up to Crocker to select a location and build the restaurant. When a new branch opens, the branch manager must pay 11.5% of the monthly turnover to the company, of which 3% is management fees and 8.5% is rent.
At first glance, these conditions may seem a bit harsh, but in fact branch managers can still make a lot of money. A well-run restaurant can earn back its original investment within 3 to 5 years. The average annual turnover of McDonald's branches is US$430,000 to US$500,000, and the manager of a medium-level branch can earn US$50,000 to US$75,000 per year.
Crocker’s biggest reward for outstanding store managers is to let them buy more distribution rights whenever possible. Some managers own 4, 6 or even 8 restaurants and make considerable money. At McDonald's, about sixty or seventy store managers have become millionaires.
In terms of talent training, the place that best reflects the characteristics of McDonald's is the "Hamburger University" founded by Crocker. Crocker required his managers to undergo specialized training at "Hamburger University." At McDonald's, only Hamburger Bachelor's degree graduates from Hamburger University are recognized, and no other academic qualifications are recognized.
As early as February 1961, Crocker established the first Hamburger University in Loveloo, Illinois. After 19 days of professional training, plus an elective course on French potato chips, students can obtain a bachelor's degree in "Hamburger Science" after passing the exam. In 1983, another new "Hamburger University" was opened. It cost 40 million US dollars and had 7 classrooms that could accommodate 750 students for training at the same time. In every classroom, there are computer-controlled automatic recording and scoring, as well as translation equipment for foreign students. The 28 full-time professors offer courses covering almost everything from productivity research to machine maintenance. Many courses at Hamburg University are now recognized by U.S. education authorities and have been listed as official credits in many universities.
Another secret of Crocker’s success is his efficient management and creatively proposed three standards for operating McDonald’s fast food restaurants: “Q.S.C”, which stands for Quality, Service and Cleanness, which means “quality”. Excellent service, good service and clean place.”
This has become one of the hallmarks that distinguish McDonald's from other fast food industries.
In terms of quality, Kroc has attached great importance to food quality from the beginning. When he bought the first hamburger store from the Mack brothers, he found that the fried potato chips sold at that time were taken out of the refrigerator, a bit like "overnight fried dough sticks", and were dull in color and tasted not crispy and fluffy at all. Crisp feeling. He believes that such food will not arouse customers' appetite, and the store's business will be depressed because of this. So he hired experts to improve the quality of French fries. First, specially grown potatoes are selected, cut into strips and made into crispy fried potato chips. Secondly, it should be eaten freshly without refrigeration. When this new type of fried potato chips appeared in front of customers, it was indeed very popular, and sales immediately doubled several times.
The company has also formulated a set of strict quality standards, such as requiring that beef raw materials must be lean meat and the fat content must not exceed 19%. After the beef is ground, it will be made into patties with a diameter of 98.5 mm, a thickness of 5.65 mm and a weight of 47.32 grams according to regulations. While ensuring quality, the word "fast" must also be emphasized: a piece of beef patty, a plate of fried potato chips and a glass of drink must be made within 50 seconds. In order to ensure the freshness of the food, it is also expressly stipulated that if the hamburger cannot be sold within 10 minutes after it is baked or the French potato chips are fried within 7 minutes, it must be thrown away. Thanks to this set of strict quality measures, every customer who comes to a McDonald's restaurant can eat steaming hot, delicious hamburgers and other foods within 50 seconds. In this case, how could it not be welcomed by customers?
In order to keep the place clean, Crocker stipulated that his employees must do the following: men must shave every day, trim their nails, and keep their mouths clean at all times. Take regular showers and don't let your hair grow long. Women are not allowed to wear nail polish or excessive makeup, and they are required to wear hair nets on their heads. As soon as the customer leaves, the service staff must clean the table and pick up any pieces of paper dropped on the ground immediately. Cigarettes and newspapers are also not allowed to be sold in restaurants. Under the guarantee of this series of regulations, McDonald's restaurant stores always keep windows bright, floors clean, and tabletops clean. Since then, McDonald's has become famous throughout the United States for its cleanliness.
Crocker’s management skills have brought great benefits to the company. The company's image has also been established due to its good management. What follows is a steady stream of wealth.
Focusing on advertising is also a factor in Crocker's success. McDonald's spends hundreds of millions on advertising every year. In 1981, the company's advertising expenses were US$320 million, accounting for 4.5% of the annual turnover. In 1963, the company also created the haunting image of "Ronald McDonald" for advertising. "Ronald McDonald" carries a tray with hamburgers, malted milk and potato chips on his head, a pair of McDonald's cups on his nose, and shoes on his feet that look like two loaves of bread. His image is quite commercial. This clown-like image leaves customers with an amiable and cute feeling, and is especially popular with children. "Ronald McDonald" became the spokesperson for McDonald's in television commercials across the United States.
After any company succeeds, it will inevitably transfer its business from domestic to foreign countries, and McDonald's is no exception.
When McDonald’s decided to expand overseas in 1970, there was almost no precedent to follow. Because at that time, there were not many precedents for the U.S. service industry to invest overseas, and the scope was limited to the Americas. There are no fast food restaurants in the countries where McDonald's wants to develop its business. The middle class in these countries think that eating out is a big deal. What they need is gorgeous, neat clothes, white cloth tables, and delicious dishes. Therefore, what McDonald's is preparing to export is not only food such as hamburgers, but also a food culture. You can imagine the difficulty.
When McDonald's first tried to develop chain stores in the Caribbean, Canada, the Netherlands and other countries, it failed, but it later achieved great success in Japan.
Fujita, President of McDonald’s Japan, adopted a unique approach based on Japan’s national conditions. He believes, "The Japanese have both a sense of inferiority and xenophobia. Everything in Japan comes from foreign countries: writing comes from China, Buddhism comes from South Korea, and after the war, everything from Coca-Cola to IBM comes from the United States. But Japan basically They don’t like Chinese and Koreans, and they don’t like Americans.” From this, he concluded that McDonald’s in Japan, from the boss to the employees, must be 100% Japanese in appearance. It doesn't look like it's imported from the United States.
If you insist that this is an American product, customers will not buy this food because they don't like America. In 1971, Crocker agreed to Fujita's plan and signed a cooperation agreement with him, with the United States and Japan each investing half. Fujita launched a publicity campaign with dramatic marketing tactics, making McDonald's famous throughout Japan overnight. On July 20, 1971, the McDonald's restaurant in Ginza District, Tokyo opened as scheduled. On the first day, the turnover was as high as 6,000 US dollars, breaking McDonald's world record for one-day turnover. Then, the second and third McDonald's restaurants opened one after another. In just 18 months, Fujita quickly opened 19 McDonald's restaurants in Japan. McDonald's was an instant success in Japan, becoming Japan's largest restaurant chain with an annual turnover of US$600 million.
After summing up Japan's successful experience, Crocker used the same model as Japan to develop the global market: find a partner, give him a considerable share and autonomy, and let him develop freely.
In this way, McDonald’s restaurants have sprung up all over the world. They use different promotional methods in different countries and target different market cultures, but they use the same standard operating system. By the early 1980s, McDonald's had established more than 6,000 branches in 33 countries and regions around the world. In 1985 alone, it developed 597 overseas branches. The average speed of opening a store in 15 hours made it beyond the reach of its competitors.
On January 14, 1984, Crocker, a billionaire with assets of US$320 million, died of a recurrence of heart disease. But the "McDonald's Kingdom" he founded is still developing rapidly. In the office of McDonald's corporate headquarters, Crocker's favorite motto is still hanging:
Nothing in the world can replace perseverance.
"Talent" cannot: It is not uncommon for people to be talented but achieve nothing.
"Genius" cannot: It is not uncommon to see people who are geniuses but are not appreciated.
"Education" cannot: It is not difficult to find people who are educated but do not have jobs.
Only perseverance and determination are omnipotent.
Perhaps, this is one of the secrets of Crocker's great success in his career. Inspirational Story of the Founder of McDonald's 2
Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, was born in Oak Park, a western suburb of Chicago, in 1902. He doesn't like reading and likes to think for a long time, imagining how he should deal with various situations when they happen. Mom sometimes asks: What are you doing? He usually answers: Nothing to do, just thinking about something.
At the age of 12, he started working after finishing the second grade of junior high school, and his fantasy was more or less put into action. For example, if he wanted to open a lemonade stand, it didn't take long for him to open it. He also opened a small record store with two friends. They invested US$100 each and rented a small store that rented for US$25 a month to sell records and rare musical instruments, such as ocarinas, harmonicas, and ukuleles. Crocker was responsible for playing the piano and singing to attract customers. These stores have been unexpectedly successful.
Crocker has also promoted many things, and once supplied paper cups to a food chain called Walgreens. They use small-capacity collapsible paper cups to serve sauces to guests. That was in 1930. Crocker observed their passenger flow at noon and found a golden opportunity that could significantly increase the business volume of both parties - selling beer in paper cups with lids when the business was very busy and there were not enough seats. Or take away soft drinks for guests who can't find a seat.
Crocker visited the manager there and demonstrated the product to him. But the manager shook his head and waved his hands and said: Either you are crazy, or you think I am crazy. Customers pay 15 cents for a beer at my counter and the same amount for taking it away in a paper cup. Why should I pay an extra 1.5 cents and increase the cost? Get guidance! Crocker said: Because this can help you increase your business. You can set up a separate place in front of the counter for takeout, use paper cups for drinks, add lids, and put other food that customers want in bags for them to take away. Finally, the manager agreed to try the paper cups he provided for free. As a result, the takeout was so successful that it wasn’t long before he became the supplier of paper cups used by Walgreens.
The establishment of the McDonald’s empire took place after he turned 52. ;