McDonald’s, with its more than 13,000 locations in the U.S. alone, is known for being the first job many teens have, with many folks keeping the Golden Arches as their place of employment well into adulthood. Now, a statistic from the fast food giant serves as inspiration for a new initiative by the 68-year-old company, On Oct. 11, McDonald’s announced a project based on a surprising statistic: 1 in 8 Americans have worked at a McDonald’s restaurant. McDonald’s confirmed to TODAY.
This panel included Peloton's Cody Rigsby, TV host, actress and entrepreneur Alejandra Espinoza, creative entrepreneur Kendall Hurns, McDonald’s franchise owner Paul Hendel, who started as a crew member when he was 16 years old and now owns 31 restaurants and a Michelin-star chef. Last on the list is Harold Villarosa, who hilariously recounted that his first job at McDonald’s was a directive from his mother when he asked for sneakers at 15-years-old.