Name: Cabante, Rosann G.

Course and Section: Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Service 201

Subject: Introduction To International Trade
Professor: Prof. Jumel G. Estrañero

The Founder
I. Background of The Film
The Film is based on a true story about McDonald's and how Ray Kroc has the concept of the
said fast food. When we heard about McDonald's first thing that comes in our mind is their
delicious fries and burgers. But in this film we will learn not just how McDonald's start but we
will be introduced to Ray Kroc or known us the founder of McDonalds. Pamnani, H. (2017),
states that The film "The Creator' reveals the story of Ray Kroc, a failed salesman turned
McDonald's founder. In the 1950s, Ray Kroc encountered Mac and Dick McDonald, who were
in Southern California conducting a burger company. Ray was fascinated by the speedy method
of the brothers of making the food and saw the opportunity for franchise. Through franchisees,
Ray expands the McDonald's franchises, pulls the business from the brothers and builds a multi-
billion dollar empire." After an encounter with the McDonalds brothers, Ray Kroc change the
way about how their burgers and made up to being sold. As a businessman you would think Kroc
is someone you need to improve your franchise. But sometimes in business we take away the
sympathy, instead in this film, there is something you wouldn't believe that actually happened
back then. The Founder tells us a story of a lie running across in business and he came up with
the idea of McDonald’s.
II. Body
In the first clip of the movie we can view how hard Ray Kroc is selling his Milkshake
Multimixer Machine to every store, restaurant or fast food chain just to sold at least of his
product, and even huge food markets reject him even if he tried many attempts just to sell his
product. Luckily, he got a call from a restaurant in San Bernardino. It was the McDonald
Brothers named Mac and Dick McDonald who wants to order at least 6 of his multi mixers. They
own McDonald’s since 1950s in Southern California. The idea about the sudden interest in
buying his product, he then talk to the Brothers and have him a tour in McDonald’s restaurant.
At the first tour he was amazed already the speedy service of McDonald. I mean 30 seconds?
And then you already have your order and he had an idea that this restaurant has a chance to
expand, creates an impact of the buyer and potential to be known world wide. He then decided to
put the product on the market and bring the idea to greater consumer sizes. Kroc has always said
"Increase the supply and the demand will follow". It show in the film that whenever you
franchise something, It isn't easy as we think. When they decided to franchise Ray became mad
because burgers is no longer like how McDonald's used to be made. The ketchup, there are three
pickles on there instead of two, and lettuce became thick and the patty tragically overcooked. He
already had a vision that sooner or later McDonald's will become a food chain that every family
will liked and that it would be part of American culture as well. While trying to entice wealthy
investors to open franchises, Ray starts building a McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois,
but experiences the same bad management that condemned the initial franchise attempts. Ray
then collaborate with the middle class buyers with the concept of franchising, who are more
likely to be focused, aware and has the performance to follow the McDonald's formula. This has
a conclusion of effective, and new franchises to open across the Midwest. The workers is very
hands on about their duty and work from cooking burgers to heat up the fries To help do the
work much faster, they also had innovative and technologically advanced computers. But despite
of Ray's hard work, he do surely experience financial difficulties due to limited share because
that was written on his contract. He then go to the bank company and request for higher loan he
even got his house into mortgage. Until Harry Sonneborn heard his argues to the bank. Harry is a
consultant and he introduce him self to Kroc and then he read the paper works he recognizes that
the real profit that was supposed to be provide the franchisees with real estate, which will not
only provide a stream of income, but will give Ray control over his franchisees and the
McDonald brothers. The wealth of Kroc is based on land and real estate, not on burgers. Finally,
for his franchise outlets, he understands the significance of buying the land. He invest and create
his own company. He doesn’t care anymore about burgers and fries, instead his interest is on
land properties. For us maybe this is the worst idea, but if you are a business minded, you would
probably think that this is the opportunity to grab something from your competitor that you can
benefit. But as what Kroc tells to McDonald brothers is that "if I saw a competitor drowning, I'd
shove a hose down his throat". Harsh ? Nope. In business industry, the best idea to win is to don't
let your competitor success with you. We might think about how come Ray Kroc became so
successful not just in his country but to the world? Well at the end of the film he said this "I
know what you think now. How the heck does an over-the-hill milkshake machine salesman, a
52-year-old. Develop an empire of fast food with 16,000 restaurants in fifty states, five foreign
countries. With a yearly turnover of $700,000,000.00 in the neighborhood. With one word.
PERSISTENCE. Nothing will take the place of good old patience in this universe. Well, talent
won't. Nothing is more prevalent than unsuccessful men with talent. The Genius will not.
Unrecognized genius is a cliche, literally. Education won't. Why the world is full of educated
fools. Persistence and determination are the most powerful"
III. Analysis: In choosing films I'm a fan of true story based movies. I mean I know after I
watched those movies that is based on true stories I can hardly apply to the reality of life. But
today I tried to explore myself into something new. I want to hear stories from a huge business
man and how their business became so successful not just for themselves but also for the world's
economy. Imagine without this high end businessman and businesses, what could be the status of
our world's economy? I mean they can change the world if they are willing to spend their billions
into something. As I have thinking about the film that is next to my list I see "The Founder", I
mean I'm not really good at analyzing businesses and economy but in this movie its not just
about that, its about how a person sales a Milkshake Multimixer Machine to earn a living which
now have a yearly turnover of $700,000,000.00. The movie tells us that when changing the
market, it is a long way process and need to change the way of thinking for you to be able to
achieve changes. Trading is not just about Import and Export goods and services with all
different countries. It is sometimes talk about the supply and demand. How the quality of goods
is being maintain and develop. In food industry like McDonalds, they have to focus on the
branding and qualities. In the film we can always heard this phrase "Increase the supply and
demand will follow". Meaning if you put your supply out there or wherever you like, the demand
will follow. Talking about business you need to analyze your supply and demand before you
produce something. In the film where Ray is changing the way how hamburgers is made and
being sold. He took all the efforts to franchise McDonalds even if at the end he will only
receiving an ample amount of money. Talking about Franchise you need to re-educate your
market and tell that quality is very important. And of course the name. If it is that all knowing,
then there is a highly chance for your business to grow due to its popularity. In the film it shows
us that food business industry its not just a system. Its the name you are paying for.
IV. Conclusion
After watching the film I made a clear conclusion that in business industry the moment you let
an enemy in, it is the same time where your enemy has the chance to take away what is yours. Be
alert and keep your ability wide awake because you will never know when is the best time to
protect yourself from an enemy behind. In the film maybe we think that Ray Kroc is selfish,
greedy backstabbing opportunist. I mean we will never forget how he changed the small
restaurant into the world's favorite family fast food even though it is a stolen idea. They are
McDonalds literally everywhere. In fact everyday it feeds 1% of the world's population. I didn't
believe that this is the story behind my favorite fast food. I also learned in the movie that know
how to explore all the time, I mean everyday is the best way to learn fresh ideas. And also, the
film reveals that the McDonald brothers were legally blocked from using their own last name on
their restaurant's signs and they also denied any McDonald's company royalties. I mean one of
the worst agreement that is ever happened. McDonald's has a worst story but who knows when
we found out other behind stories in some successful restaurant world wide. We might think that
Ray Kroc is self-centered, no mercy, greedy and money grabbing. Well it is true and welcome to
the business world, where education is useless and persistence is the most powerful.