Chamber president learns the recipe for success at McDonald's in Warwick
A leading business figure in Warwickshire has found out what it takes to run a McDonald’s restaurant – from estimating the number of burgers it needs through to the work it undertakes in the community.
Steve Harcourt, president of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, paid a visit to McDonald’s in Emscote Road, Warwick, to get a behind the scenes view of the restaurant.
He chatted to franchisee Dawood Ibtehsam who revealed the rigorous process of taking on a branch, his plans for growth and why he decided to joined the Chamber.
“There were 36 interviews,” he said. “Followed by two personality tests and then an IQ test.
“More than 5,000 people apply each year to become a McDonald’s franchisee and only five external applicants are given the opportunity to run a restaurant. Fortunately for me, I was one of those.”
Dawood took over the restaurant at the end of 2023 and told Steve there is more to it than simply serving burgers and fries.
The individual branch employs 81 staff, 60 per cent of which are under 25 with origins from 17 different countries.
Each member of the team goes through McDonald’s training at ‘Hamburger University’ but Dawood invests further to support staff development.
He has also instilled a community focus in the restaurant including regular litter-pick walks with the team collectively walking 1,100 miles in Leamington and Warwick recently, picking up 600 bags of rubbish.
It also hires out its meeting room to community groups for sessions such as CPR and first aid training. Food is regularly donated to foodbanks in the area.
The restaurant serves around 40,000 customers a month, equating to around 28,000 burgers and 36,000 servings of fries. Its most popular orders are regular cheeseburgers and Happy Meals, while a large proportion of sourcing is done through local farms throughout the UK.
Dawood added: “We want to give every customer a great experience whether they come into the restaurant, go through the drive-thru or order for delivery.
“We are one of very few McDonald’s where our kitchen is upstairs so we have a conveyor belt and lift system to get the freshly prepared meals downstairs to be served.
“For me, it is all about being part of the community – from the people we employ, to the customers we serve and to the local area we operate in. We are a people business, that happens to serve burgers rather than the other way round.
“That’s why we wanted to be part of the Chamber to build our local networks and play an even bigger part in the region as we look to expand into more restaurants in the coming months and years.”
Steve Harcourt, who is a director at Prime Accountants Group, said: “Everyone knows McDonald’s and everyone, I am sure, has their order of choice!
“It was absolutely fascinating to get a look behind the scenes and to find out more from Dawood.
“It was interesting to hear the areas which he can control for himself so, while very obviously being part of the McDonald’s network, he is able to make an even bigger positive impact on the local community.
“He’s also ambitious for growth and, as a Chamber, we can support him in taking those next steps.”
Pictured: Dawood Ibtehsam (left) with Steve Harcourt
