The Walsh family has been flipping McDonald’s hamburgers for 50 years and it appears this third-generation family franchise could easily transition to the fourth for the Manchester-based business.
Edward and Irene Walsh opened their first McDonald’s restaurant at 46 West Center St. in Manchester in October 1961. It was the fourth McDonald’s restaurant in the state of Connecticut. The restaurant was moved to 70 West Center St. in December 1987.
Their sons, Mike and Bob, became involved with the family business, and today operate eight locations in Hartford and Tolland counties in Manchester, East Hartford, Vernon, Ellington and Stafford Springs.
Mike’s twin sons, Tim and Tom, are also certified owner/operators, representing the third generation of Walshes involved with the McDonald’s business. Tom’s daughter worked at one of the family-run McDonald’s over the summer, the first of the fourth generation involved in the business.
Edward Walsh had been in the grocery business in West Hartford until the construction of I-84 took away his land and business. He was hunting around for a new business that he could pass to his sons when relatives visited from Chicago. They talked about a restaurant selling 15-cent hamburgers where the lines were out the door.
Intrigued, Ed and Irene headed out to Chicago to see for themselves what the fuss was about. They came back and applied to be franchisees. That was in 1958. It would be three years before McDonald’s would grant them the franchise to a new store being built in Manchester. It was number 145 out of what would become more than 35,000 around the world.
The Walsh family retains its enthusiasm for their work. They concede it has had its financial rewards but there’s more to it than that. “We have ketchup in our blood. I would do it all over again,” said Bob Walsh, 67. His nephew Tim, 46, added, “It’s a passion we have for the business. We’re not just doing a job.”
The business has thrived for three generations, a feat not always easily accomplished when families work together. Strict corporate controls, while not preventing nepotism, don’t allow for the automatic ascension of family members into positions of responsibility.
“We had to take classes and get the stamp of approval from McDonald’s,” said Tom Walsh. “You have to earn the right to be an owner-operator.” His brother Tim added, “McDonald’s is not going to let you just become an owner-operator.”
Unlike other family businesses, there is strong corporate oversight by McDonald’s. “You have to live up to strict regulations,” said Bob Walsh, adding that business practices and future reinvestments are regularly scrutinized.
Want to know the one product not sold the Walshes get asked about the most? It’s the hot dog. At one time, McDonald’s did sell the Mighty Dog but in-depth market testing determined it wasn’t the right fit for the menu. “The percentage sold didn’t warrant them being added as menu item,” Mike Walsh, 70, said.
Tom Walsh said the McDonald’s Corp. has evolved since the family took on the Manchester franchise in 1961. Back then, only males could work for the franchise (unless it was a female family member). Now, obviously, there is no discrimination which worked out well for Tim Walsh who met his future spouse at one of the family stores. That led to what is called a McMarriage.
But Tom Walsh also shared one anecdote, though, that shows how the company hasn’t changed: its focus on operations. He had a meeting last week where he went over the standards expected by the company. He then showed the workers the date of the memo that had last been revised in 1962. “It’s a philosophy that has not changed,” he added.
The basic McDonald’s philosophy the four men explained comes down to: QSCV or quality, service, cleanliness, and value. “That’s still the bedrock of McDonald’s,” said Tim Walsh.
There’s also a fifth element that has been important to the Walsh family: community involvement. The conference room walls at its non-descript offices on Hartford Road in Manchester are lined with various awards and commendations for giving back. Mike Walsh also points with pride to two Ronald awards (shaped like the fast food outlet’s iconic clown) that the business has earned for its operational and community prowess.
