1.

In the movie titled “The Founder” it talks about how, when, and where
McDonalds’ started and how it grew into a gigantic food franchise today. At the
beginning of the movie, we can see Ray Kroc selling milkshake machines but his
situation in selling milkshake machines were not clicking and were a failure.
2. Ray Kroc’s experience of the American scene before he joined McDonalds’ are
dissatisfying, inefficient, and slow. In the movie we can see a specific scene in
where Ray goes to a couple of drive thru or drive in restaurants where in a
water/waitress comes up to his car to take his order, but it takes 20-40 minutes in
order for him to receive his order.
3. Ray first got in contact with the McDonald brothers when there was an odd
number of orders for his milkshake machines. Ray at first thought this was an
error so Ray Kroc as for the number of the store to confirm the order placed on
his milkshake machines, then we he confirmed the order, Dick McDonalds told
him where to deliver the milkshake machines, Ray Kroc then drove to the said
place and that is where he first got in contact with the McDonald brothers.
4. The first location of the McDonalds’ store was located at San Bernardino,
California. Corner of 14th and E. Ray was shocked when he saw how quick the
food was cooked and served because of the system used by McDonalds’ and he
was also fascinated using disposable packaging.
5. The food on the menu of the first McDonald designed by Ray Kroc were shakes,
fries, and burgers with coke, coffee, orange juice, root beer, and milk
6. “Speed is the name of the game”. This was achieved by having and using a
system where in everyone specializes and does one task efficiently. Lastly, by
also only having a few items on the menu speed in cooking and serving the food
was achievable.
7. The three main food/drinks that McDonalds’ focused on were hamburgers,
French fries, and soft drinks. These are the items in the menu because in the
previous business of the McDonald brothers, only those three items were
constantly selling at a high rate at 87%.
8. The McDonald brothers practiced their system on a tennis court. They draw a
line of the exact dimensions of their kitchen at McDonalds’. There they brought
their entire staff pretending they are making burgers and fries. After 6hrs of
rearranging equipment, how and where the staff should go and move the
McDonald brothers got their system right.
9. Franchise means a franchiser grants a license to a franchisee for the franchisee
to do business under the franchiser’s name and system.
10. The McDonald brothers were initially reluctant to use a franchise model because
they were afraid to lose quality control because according to Dick McDonald “Its
almost impossible to enforce standards from afar”.
11. The first steps that Ray Kroc took when he joined McDonalds’ are: he signed a
contract with the McDonald brothers, he then tried to get a finance, which then he
got by using his house as a collateral. Lastly, he then started signing up
franchisees with multiple people.
12. Dick and Maurice McDonald. In the movie the McDonald brothers were shows as
hardworking, honest, and caring people. Comparing them to Ray Kroc, Ray
shown in the movie was more of a person who is a risk taker but has low
standards in morals and ethics.
13. Ray’s wife was unhappy with him because he spent less time in their home and
was obsessed with making money. Ray’s wife wanted a comfortable life while
Ray on the other hand wanted to take risks and do business to expand
McDonalds’ and make more money.
14. Ray Kroc’s personality shows that he is a risk taker, ambitious, selfish, unethical,
and aggressive.
15. Ray initially signed up franchisees at a dinner with some people and then he
moved to the country club where the rich people play golf. Shown later on in the
movie, he then pursued people and couples who would work hard and care for
the brand.
16. “McDonalds’ is Family”
17. Ray Kroc compares the symbol of the cross on top of a church to the golden
arches of McDonalds’ by stating “McDonalds’ can be the new American church”.
Ray hopes that the McDonalds’ golden arches will be well known like the cross
on the church. A place that symbolizes where family’s come together to break
bread.
18. In the movie, Ray Kroc is shown to be demanding and aggressive in doing
business with the McDonald brothers. In the end of the movie Ray Kroc was not
working with the McDonald brothers and slowly and surely the McDonald
brothers were losing control of the business they created.
19. In the movie, Ray Kroc’s behavior were unethical. The way he dealt with the
McDonald brothers by not telling them about his plans (example signing up other
franchisees) and by undercutting them. The McDonald brothers were also unable
to prove their handshake deal which resulted in them not receiving their royalties.
20. The scenes in the movie were fairly accurate but had a few minor changes.
- The milkshake mix wasn’t Joan’s idea. It was implemented after the
McDonald brothers were out of business.
- Ray Kroc did not tell his wife (Ethel) that he wanted a divorce while they were
eating dinner. Instead, Ray told her extended family of his intentions to
divorce her.
- Ray Kroc did not go to the hospital with a blank cheque for the McDonald
brothers put whatever amount they wanted.