He Started Working at McDonald's at 15 and Now Owns 6 Restaurants

Most of our teenage jobs weren’t expected to last 50 years. 

We earned some spending money, learned a few things, and eventually moved on.

Terry Eagle skipped that last step.

He started working part-time at a McDonald's in London when he was 15 years old.

And, 50 years later, he’s still with McDonald's.

Except, now, he owns six of them.

That's one heck of a promotion.

It All Started With a Teenage Job

Terry joined McDonald's in Catford, South London, in 1976.

At the time, McDonald's was still pretty new to the U.K. 

The company had only opened its first British restaurant in Woolwich in 1974.

Terry started as a crew member, taking orders, serving customers, and preparing orders.

He must've been pretty good at it because, within four years, he became a restaurant manager.

He was only 19.

Some of us were still trying to remember to bring our name tags to work at 19.

Then He Bought a McDonald's

Terry didn't stop with his management position.

In 1988, he applied to become a McDonald's franchisee and, in 1990, he took over his first restaurant in Camberwell.

That restaurant eventually became one of six throughout South London.

Now, after five decades under the Golden Arches, Terry is celebrating his 50th anniversary with the company.

His team even surprised him with a celebration at his Brixton restaurant in July.

There’s a particularly nice piece of McDonald's history involved, too.

Terry wore the tie that had been given to him by Fred Turner, a former McDonald's CEO who started his own career behind a McDonald's counter, as well.

He's Done a Lot More Than Sell Burgers

Terry's story isn't just about how many restaurants he owns.

Over the years, he's created job opportunities for workers with disabilities and worked with local law enforcement to reduce crime.

He's also partnered with Spiral, which prepares young people for employment, and has raised more than $200,000 for Ronald McDonald House UK.

His community work has earned him a commendation from the Metropolitan Police and three Parliamentary awards.

Not bad for a career that started as an after-school job.

Fifty Years Later, He's Still Loving It

Terry credits his team and the people around him for helping him build the career he's had.

And perhaps that's the sweetest part of this whole story.

At 15, he walked into McDonald's looking for a part-time job.

Along the way, he built a career, came to own six restaurants, and found plenty of ways to give back.

Here's to Terry’s 50 years under the Golden Arches.

To every teenager starting their first job this fall, maybe theirs won’t be so temporary, either.

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