Peter

Peter’s family legacy is a unique one, with McDonald’s at the center. His father, Pedro, immigrated to Miami from Cuba. Pedro grew up hearing about McDonald’s but never experienced it until he came to the U.S. When he arrived in the U.S., he and a partner opened their first McDonald’s. Forty-one years later, Peter, his father (Pedro), brother (Alex), and sister (Gina) work together to own and operate 17 McDonald’s locations around Miami. Peter’s family has a true love and passion for McDonald’s – they love the brand, but most importantly, they love the food. Peter says he practices what he preaches. He and his family regularly eat at McDonald’s. If Peter got to choose his last meal, it would be as many nuggets as he could possibly eat.

Rose

Rose and her son got the exact same meal today – a Cheeseburger Happy Meal. She usually gets a Happy Meal along with her son so he can have two toys, as he loves them very much. She likes coming to this McDonald’s because it’s clean, has a nice PlayPlace and most importantly, it’s always cold. Rose loves bringing her son to McDonald’s because it gives her a chance to remember her own childhood memories. When she was a child, almost 50 years ago now, her grandmother would always give her a dollar when she visited. Rose would take that dollar and go straight to McDonald’s to get a hamburger, fries, and a soda. She loved visiting Grandma because she knew she’d get to go to McDonald’s afterwards. She’s always had a love for McDonald’s and recently retired from working in a distribution center that shipped out all the Happy Meal toys.

Dominique

In a tale as old as time (or one we’ve heard since we started this research), Dominique tell us she is here today as her daughter loves McDonald’s. Her daughter woke up at 6am this morning demanding McDonald’s. Dominique says she told her daughter, “Not for breakfast, but maybe for lunch or dinner.” So, it’s lunch time, and here they are. She says her daughter asks for McDonald’s 5 days a week, but they usually try to come a maximum of 4 days a week. Her daughter is 9, saying she’s a little too big for Happy Meals, so instead her go-to is a McDouble and fries. Dominique has been eating at McDonald’s her whole life. Her mother was a single mom of 6 kids. Every Friday after getting her paycheck, her mom would bring Dominique and her siblings to McDonald’s and let them pick whatever they wanted off the menu. She recalls it feeling good not having to penny pinch and being able to get whatever she wanted because she knew her mom would be able to afford it.

Larry

Larry catches our attention as he walks into McDonald’s today – cowboy hat, wranglers, cowboy boots, and a gun in his holster. He was born and raised in Miami but has lived in Georgia for the past 10 years. He’s been coming to McDonald’s most of his life. Larry remembers the first time he went to a drive-thru burger place, at Giant Burger in Miami, it was such a novel concept to him. Later, he recalls the first McDonald’s he went to in Miami as a kid. It was just a walk-up window – he’d get the burgers for 19 cents and then eat it in the car with his mom. In his high school days, there was a McDonald’s next to his school that became the place where all the kids hung out, and where Larry took his dates for burgers and a shared shake. Now, he comes to McDonald’s 1-2 times a week, never for breakfast. He always gets the McDouble with mustard only, fries, and a Coke Zero. He specifically likes the onions on the McDouble and has always loved the fries – although today he complains a few were left in the fryer too long. He loves Coke Zero and says it’s hard to find but that he can always count on McDonald’s. He sometimes goes through the drive-thru but comes inside when he wants to have 2-3 cups of Coke Zero. As he’s getting ready to leave, he excitedly announces he’s going to refill his cup one more time, take a big gulp, and then top it off for the road.

Dina

Dina is here this morning with her husband, Roy (not pictured). They come here almost every day for a coffee break, sometimes accompanied with Hotcakes and a Parfait. Three years ago, in the Austin Halloween Flood of 2015, they lost everything. They then moved in with one of their sons in Elgin, about 30 miles away. Their son didn’t make coffee at home, so Dina & Roy ventured to McDonald’s for coffee, sometimes going to one near Elgin, but often coming into Austin for McDonald’s. This grew to be part of their almost-daily routine, as McDonald’s has become like a second home to them while their home was being rebuilt. Now, they’ve recovered and live about 5 miles from this McDonald’s location, but they continue to come back because it’s become near and dear to them. They sometimes even bring their granddaughter who refers to it as “Donald’s.” 

Sara Singh - Junior Strategist
Hannah Barr - Junior Strategist