Owning the Golden Arches: Journey from Entrepreneur to Empire Builder with Kerri Harper-Howie

What It Covers

Kerri Harper-Howie shares how she transitioned from attorney to co-owning 21 McDonald's franchises with her sister in Los Angeles, employing over 1,100 people while maintaining community impact and family legacy.

Key Questions Answered

• •Intentional scaling: Growing from 13 to 24 restaurants requires deliberate delegation of tasks you previously enjoyed doing yourself, like investigations and employee connections, while training team members to handle responsibilities that become impossible to manage personally at scale.
• •Franchise accessibility: Franchising extends far beyond food service into clothing, logistics, and delivery sectors, offering aspiring entrepreneurs the advantage of established systems, training programs, and location scouting while being in business for yourself but not by yourself.
• •Community engagement strategy: The organization became the largest McDonald's franchisee fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Los Angeles chapter through systematic round-up donations, while the Patricia G Williams Family Foundation provides micro-grants to local organizations serving restaurant communities.
• •Operational humility: New franchise owners should master every station from fry cook to cashier to drive-through before advancing, ensuring they understand employee experiences firsthand and can genuinely connect with their team's daily challenges and demands.