Coalition of Franchisee Associations

February 19, 2023

McBlast From the Past

The following opinion letter was submitted and posted 13 months ago. It's still very powerful, very topical, and shows that McCorporate has allowed little movement on the issues important to McDonald's Owner/Operators. 

Previously posted in January 2022 - Worth repeating

16 comments:

Richard Adams said...

Two notes:

* Thanks to the McDonald's Owner/Operator who suggested a reposting of this letter.

* If you have comments on this letter please make them here in 2023 instead of at the end of the long string of comments from last year.
.

Anonymous said...

Well said. THIS is why we need OWNER UNITY.

Anonymous said...

Nothing has changed....actually its gotten WORSE!

Anonymous said...

If you like PACE, the draconian new Franchising rules, and the command and control attitude basically making you a corporate employee, not an owner, then by all means stay the course. If you have had enough, you must join the 1000 other concerned and committed owners and join and support your NOA. It is our last best hope . Without it, the worst is yet to come from corp.

Anonymous said...

BRAVO to all of the above!!!!!

Anonymous said...

The future vision for the NOA is broken down in to 5 areas,

1. Advocacy

a. The NOA will be regarded as the Umbrella Advocacy Body. We represent and advocate for every owner/operator.

b. We will provide a mechanism for Owner/operators to confidentially register their concerns, grievances and inappropriate conduct aired against them by McDonald’s

2. Leadership Development

a. The NOA will become the Leadership Development mechanism of the Owner/Operator body.

b. Peers and advisors providing seminars on business acumen, how to successfully operate a McDonald’s restaurant and how to navigate the political landscape in McDonald’s

3. Next Generation Guidance

a. The NOA will provide education and guidance for Next Generation applicants and Owner/Operators.

b. Peers and advisors assisting in navigating the next gen and spousal program, elevating their McDonald’s financial IQ and learning the important wealth transfer concepts in the ever changing tax and legislative environment

4. Registered Applicant Support

a. The NOA will act as the Orientation and Welcome committee for Registered Applicants.

b. Assisting them with essential resources, advisors and insights so that they can be successful, engaged and positive contributors to the owner/operator community and the system.

5. Legislative Activism

a. The NOA will have a Political Agenda.

b. We will work with strategists, lobbyists and legislators to develop grass roots tactics to support our owner/operator franchisees.

c. Our first agenda item is going to be to support our Operators in California who are in the fight of their lives to defeat AB 257.



Every owner/operator will feel and benefit from our advocacy efforts and our strategy. We have expanded our Board of Directors to be even more inclusive. We are growing our membership base now at an incredible pace….and we have a place and role for EVERY Owner/Operator. Our strength is in our alignment, our unity, and numbers. I encourage you to join us, on our journey together.



Join - National Owners Association

Anonymous said...

As a owner who sold out and retired in 22, I have one observation for my remaining owners. You do not need to accept McDonalds crap. YOU are the face of McDonalds in your towns, YOU are Mr and Mrs MCD in your neighborhoods. YOU KNOW and can influence local, state and federal legislators. There is strength in your numbers if you simply stay unified. McD corp is a faceless remote entity with no where near the influence you all collectively have. Organizations that are independent from the corporation like the Noa are the way to go. And the owner reps and “leadership” that regularly sell out their fellow operators should be ashamed of themselves, their greed, and their lack of integrity. Good luck my brothers and sisters still in mcdonaldland.

Anonymous said...

Is there any doubt that McKinsey is controlling mcd actions?

Anonymous said...

As a proud member of the NOA, I disagree a little with the poster above "Many Owners have expressed concern that McDonald's is discouraging them from joining the NOA. Consequently, they are fearful that if they participate."

1. I think if they're that intimidated by McDonald's to join NOA I have mixed emotions if I want them as a fellow O/O within the system, as these are the folks that just roll over on every McDonald's program and are afraid to give feedback or speak up.

2. Or they are too cheap to support independent franchisee voices.

3. As I have told McDonald's Corp and other O/O's every O/O should participate in NOA as I believe the NOA represents 80% of the O/Os within the system and whether I agree with the NOA or not I sure want to have a seat at the table and know what their agenda & platform is if they are representing the views of 80% of the system, why would you not want to know?

Richard Adams said...

It's hard to imagine being that intimidated by corporate people who've never run a business, employed anyone, or taken on any real debt.

There are two kinds of people in this world:

1) Those who count on a big company or entity to steer their lives and protect them from all risk.

2) Those who employ people, take on personal debt, leave themselves wide open to all branches of government, and accept all forms of liability. We usually call them "entrepreneurs".

Funny, in a franchise system, #1 gets to tell #2 how to live their lives.
.

Anonymous said...

I’d like to join the NOA but talking to a couple other operators that are members, I never hear anything productive that the NOA is doing. I’ve never experienced a corporate employee discourage me personally from joining but I really thought that the NOA didn’t exist anymore after Blake left. I 100% agree we need an advocacy group other than the NFLA representing us but since I never hear anything about the NOA I think it’s a waste of money.

Anonymous said...

To the above----READ and LEARN

https://nationalownersassociation.com/about/


Troll elsewhere?

Anonymous said...

The NOA will not waiver as your advocacy organization, your voice of truth. We are committed to you, our members, and to the hundreds of thousands of employees that serve millions of guests each day. We will collaborate with our elected Owner leadership to determine ways to positively impact the System for the benefit of our restaurant teams, our customers, the brand and ultimately, our shareholders. The NOA was never just about our founders. It has always been about you. We are reimagined with an aggressive agenda to assist all owners, and WE ARE HERE TO STAY.
Our brightest days are yet to be.

Anonymous said...

The future vision for the NOA is broken down in to 5 areas,
1. Advocacy
a. The NOA will be regarded as the Umbrella Advocacy Body. We represent and advocate for every owner/operator.
b. We will provide a mechanism for Owner/operators to confidentially register their concerns, grievances and inappropriate conduct aired against them by McDonald’s
2. Leadership Development
a. The NOA will become the Leadership Development mechanism of the Owner/Operator body.
b. Peers and advisors providing seminars on business acumen, how to successfully operate a McDonald’s restaurant and how to navigate the political landscape in McDonald’s
3. Next Generation Guidance
a. The NOA will provide education and guidance for Next Generation applicants and Owner/Operators.
b. Peers and advisors assisting in navigating the next gen and spousal program, elevating their McDonald’s financial IQ and learning the important wealth transfer concepts in the everchanging tax and legislative environment
4. Registered Applicant Support
a. The NOA will act as the Orientation and Welcome committee for Register Applicants.
b. Assisting them with essential resources, advisors and insights so that they can be successful, engaged and positive contributors to the owner/operator community and the system.
5. Legislative Activism
a. The NOA will have a Political Agenda.
b. We will work with strategists, lobbyists and legislators to develop grass roots tactics to support our owner/operator franchisees.
c. Our first agenda item is going to be to support our Operators in California who are in the fight of their lives to defeat AB 257.

Every owner/operator will feel and benefit from our advocacy efforts and our strategy. We have expanded our Board of Directors to be even more inclusive. We are growing our membership base now at an incredible pace….and we have a place and role for EVERY Owner/Operator. Our strength is in our alignment, our unity, and numbers. I encourage you to join us, on our journey together.

Join - National Owners Association

Anonymous said...

Waste of money????? Its fifty five cents a day!!! Your crew wastes 200-300 times that in wasted food EVERY DAY!! Its cheap insurance!

Frankly, with your attitude, I seriously question your judgement (or motivation)

Anonymous said...

Owner UNITY is the only thing that willmprotect you from MCD taking your equity piece by piece.

Being part of a group to leverage that unity protects you from having to stick your own neck out as an individual. Has no one ever complained and heard, "But it's only YOU that complains about this. No other O/O has a problem with it." When of course every O/O that this corporate person spoke to has the same complaint.

NOA is a way to prevent against the franchisor playbook of DIVIDE AND CONQUER. With Owner UNITY, safely expressed through NOA, Owners win. All must stand together without any one person having to take the wrath alone, which is what MCD wants you to fear happening.