This date celebrates the founding of the National Black McDonald's Operators Association (NBMOA) in 1972.
NBMOA is a self-help organization established for the improvement and betterment of every member. On December 21, 1968, Herman Petty of Chicago opened the first Black-owned McDonald's franchise. Earlier that year, McDonald's Corporation and its management team felt that Black business leaders could better address issues and concerns in the community where they live and work. Petty is still a McDonald's Owner/Operator today.
Roland Jones, the first Black Field Consultant with McDonald's, worked closely with Herman Petty in his store operations. By the end of 1969, there were 12 Black-owned and operated McDonald's restaurants, mainly in the Midwest. Jones’ continued work involved a series of meetings with operators and store managers. This sharing of business ideas, problems, and concerns eventually led to the formation of NBMOA.
Business Insider reported Monday that a report in 2019 showed that McDonald’s Black franchisees chose to leave the chain. In 2008, there were about 304 Black franchisees at the chain; in 2017, there were 222. The report said the average cash flow of Black franchisees is much less than that of all of the chain’s restaurants, citing franchisees, former corporate employees, and internal documents viewed by the website.
