What Franchise Issue 21.1

JOEYANTWI-KUSI Franchisee for McDonald’s Dagenham and Brentwood After graduating with my first degree in Ghana, where I was born and raised, I moved to the UK on a postgraduate scholarship with almost nothing to my name. I still remember arriving with an envelope holding just £100, a gift frommy dad. I knew I’d need extra income to support myself. That search led me to McDonald’s, a brand I’d heard was a good place to work. You can picture me: a fresh-faced 22-year-old, working as a customer care assistant for this huge global brand. I quickly fell in love with it all – the people, the culture, the operations – and as a business student, I was fascinated by how it all fit together. I’d watch my franchisee come into the restaurant and see the control they had over their own business. That really stuck with me. After completing my MBA in finance, I worked at several banks before moving into consulting with Accenture. I enjoyed those years and progressed quickly through the ranks. But entrepreneurship was already in my blood. My dad ran his own construction firm in Ghana, and I’d grown up watching the highs and lows of his journey. Soon, I began longing for one of my own. During the pandemic, I launched a healthcare business. It went really well, and I loved building something from scratch. That success made me realise it was time to go back to McDonald’s. I wanted to tell the story of that young man who had once come to the UK with nothing, fallen in love with the brand, and then spent years building skills in banking, consulting, and entrepreneurship. Now I was ready to return – this time as a franchisee. McDonald’s believed in that story and gave me the opportunity. One of the most impressive aspects of their model is the level of support. You go through nine months of training, paired with a consultant who works alongside you. You attend Hamburger University to learn the culture, the operations, and the people side of the business. And at the end of that journey, in 2023, I took over my first restaurant in Dagenham, the same place where I’d done much of my training. The beauty of franchising is that you open your doors with customers already walking in, trusting the brand, and expecting a great experience. I quickly grew from one restaurant to three, including Brentwood, which hadn’t had a McDonald’s in over nine years. Being the one to bring it back was an incredible feeling. Community work has been a big part of my journey, too. In Dagenham, I set up a work experience programme where young people shadow me for a week. I also spend time in schools, helpingYear 10 students prepare for interviews and understand the workplace. That involvement has led to recognition, including a nomination for the Barking and DagenhamHall of Fame awards, which celebrate individuals of African and Caribbean heritage connected to the Borough. I’m also proud to have made it as a finalist for the Black British Business Awards 2025 in the Senior Leaders, Entrepreneurs category, with winners announced mid-October. Today, we employ around 300 people. For me, it’s not just about building a business – it’s about giving back, making an impact, and showing young people that if you chase your dream, you can achieve something meaningful. That’s not to say running a McDonald’s is easy. The standards are high, and there are countless moving parts. I rely heavily on my team to keep the business running smoothly. Their support allows me to focus not only on operations but also on community work, talent development, and the bigger picture. Recognition, like being featured in Forbes earlier this year, is an honour, but what excites me most is the difference we can make. Representation in franchising is another passion of mine. Ethnic diversity among franchisees is still very low, including at McDonald’s. I want to inspire young people by showing them that someone who looks like them and talks like them can reach this level. I always tell my team: if you’re fortunate enough to succeed, open the door for others. And if there isn’t a door, build one yourself so others can walk through. For me, the defining moment was finding the confidence to apply to become a McDonald’s franchisee. It’s an incredibly competitive process, with a success rate of less than 2%. I had doubts – was I ready, had I achieved enough? But I decided to go for it. That leap changed everything. Looking ahead, I have two ambitions. In the UK, I want to grow to more than 10 restaurants within the next five years. But my long-term goal is to take the McDonald’s brand to Ghana and other countries in West Africa where it doesn’t yet have a presence. I believe there’s huge potential to create jobs, support local businesses, and make an impact there. When that happens, it will bring my journey full circle – from a 22-year-old student in East London with £100 in his pocket to a successful entrepreneur building opportunities back home. “If you’re fortunate enough to succeed, open the door for others. And if there isn’t a door, build it yourself so others can walk through” Joey runs three McDonald’s restaurants with over 300 employees, drawing on 15 years in finance and an MBA inWales. Beyond operations, he champions diversity, inclusion, and community impact. His mission is simple: serve great food, build rewarding careers, and create opportunities that make a lasting difference. 60 WHAT FRANCHISE Issue 21.1 Interview | FEATURE