Were at the Hyde Park Summer Fest giving out Free Samples of McDonald's Summer Beverages!!! Ways to celebrate Black History Month in Chicago. McDonalds headquarters has moved to Chicago. Cardi B McDonald's meal offends franchisees | Crain's Chicago Business But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Copyright 2023. Your email will be forwarded to the appropriate department for a response. Chicago Is Honoring Herman Petty, The First Black McDonald's Owner The nation's first Black-owned McDonald's franchise is slated to return just in time for Black History Month. On December 21, 1968, Herman Petty of Chicago opened his first restaurant in the inner-city Chicago, becoming the first Black Owner/Operator of a McDonalds franchise. Got a story tip? div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', As McDonald's owner-operators, having compassion for our consumers is what makes us who we are," said memberDerrick Taylor. T he roots of the contemporary conversation about race and fast food begins with the founding of McDonald's in the 1940s. Two days after Christmas, business was slow at the location with only six people taking in the new renovations. Review | Is fast food in black America a boon or a burden? Both were white investors who originally asked Petty to run the restaurant as part of a zebra or salt and pepper partnership, according to various reports. The Black McDonald's Operators Association and three local Black-owned businesses were honored during the event, which was designed to celebrate the . According to the book, Building the Black Metropolis: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago, McDonalds came up with a survival strategy to weather the storm. Nation's first Black-owned McDonald's, located in Chicago, reopens after renovation Erick Johnson January 5, 2023 8:56 am After a months-long renovation project, the nation's first. Black-owned businesses not only help create jobs, strengthen local economies, and bridge the racial wealth gap they also build healthy communities for all. Meeting Barack Obama and Mohamad Ali, he was a heavyweight in his own right, owning 13 McDonalds franchises. ", First published on February 17, 2021 / 11:32 AM. The first would be Petty, a barber, who lived several blocks from McDonalds and worked as a CTA bus driver at night.