ORLANDO, Fla. — Central Florida was on the list of stops Friday for the USA President of McDonald’s. Only Channel 9 spoke with Joe Erlinger while he was in town to meet with local franchises.
Channel 9′s Weekend Morning Anchor Sam Martello spoke with him about the company’s impact on the Central Florida economy.
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In more than 1,000 neighborhoods in the state, McDonald’s restaurants serve local communities in more ways than one. Erlinger was in Orlando to see the impact for himself.
“We’re just so proud of the way we show up in this area. We know how important tourism is to this area. There are many customers that come here, enjoy McDonald’s here. Some of our highest volume restaurants are in some of your heavy tourist areas here.”
— Joe Erlinger, USA President of McDonald’s
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As the value wars heat up across the country, Erlinger said the chain’s most recent initiative, the McValue platform, is to help Central Florida communities access affordable meals.
“There’s no question that the consumer needs good value, good affordability right now,” Erlinger said. “That’s what McValue’s about. Between the buy one add one platform, the $5 Meal Deal, and local offers and deals, it has the flexibility every consumer needs to come to McDonald’s.”
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Ania Nitzsche is a local owner and operator of 11 McDonald’s stores around Central Florida.
Nitzsche said that for thirty years, she has seen firsthand how the Golden Arches impact the community, specifically through the Golden Grants Program, from Ocoee to Kissimmee to Poinciana.
“It gives seed money to agencies, non-profits, and educational groups that do things for the betterment of children,” Nitzsche said. “In the arts, sports, mentorship, job skills, all of those kinds of programs.”
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Beyond the menu, Erlinger said McDonald’s also supports business and economic opportunity.
He said the restaurant provides more than 60,000 jobs in Florida and nearly 20,000 jobs stem from supply chain activities.
“We operate in 14,000 communities around the U.S., we create jobs in those communities, and we buy a lot of quality ingredients off of American farms,” Erlinger said.
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In addition to jobs, Erlinger said McDonald’s empowers its employees to pursue higher education, whether it’s to advance their careers within the company or beyond.
“We’ve provided $25 million in scholarships in just the last year to support employees who want to progress their careers and want to do so through greater educational opportunities,” Erlinger said.
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