s/o first jobs: Have you ever worked at McDonald's?

[mcsangel2]

Let's see how ubiquitous working at McD's is! 

I worked there for all of 5 weeks when I was 18. Got fired when my drawer was perpetually short (later the manager was fired for stealing) and went to a local mom and pop sandwich/yogurt chain where I worked for 2 years.

[wambam]

I’ve worked at fast casual (McAlister’s and Moe’s) but never fast food

[laurack]

Yes I have! It was my second job. When I was 14 I had a job at the butcher shop as they would employ underage people for 25 bucks a day, so I did that each Saturday.

My second job was when I was allowed to work “legally” (15 or 16? Little hazy) I got a job at McDonald’s and was thrilled with the “big money” I made after getting 25 for 8 hours previously!

I found McDonald’s better than the butcher shop and touching raw meat all day but it was still a hard job. Since I was young and new I had to clean the toilets a lot. When I got to serve at the counter I was delighted but then sometimes customers would scream at me.

Service industry is tough.

[VillainV]

No, my first job was at a family-owned business (not my family).

My second job was at Old Navy! It doesn’t get more retail than that.

[wildrice]

I worked at a frozen custard shop that also sold food, and later the drive through at Steak n Shake. So neither were traditional fast food places like McDonald's but I think still count?

[expectantsteelerfan]

I've never worked in fast food, but when I was in middle school, my parents were going through a really rough patch and my mom hit rock bottom and took a job at McDonalds in the affluent suburb where we lived. I was mortified, but at least I've grown enough to be ashamed by my reaction now. When I was in college, she worked at Starbucks, and that didn't affect me at all...in fact I was happy to know she was getting benefits from them (my parents were divorced at that point).

My 1st jobs were the local library shelving books, then the local movie theater, where I continued to work and became a manager of during breaks in college (and am still friends with some of the people I used to work with there), and then my last 2 college summers I worked at a pharmacy just as a checkout person.  So no fast food, and no restaurants either.

[lilypad1126]

Yep, worked there for a yearwhen I was 16. A few months in the managers were routinely having me do parts of their jobs and trusting me to be “in charge” while they took breaks and went to the Taco Bell next door to hang with their friends/SOs. And they always scheduled me with the hard to get along with manager. I lasted a year before I found a better paying, office job.

[fivechickens]

I didn’t (I worked at Wendy’s briefly) but my good friend did and gave us free fries and cheeseburgers all the time.

[katespade]

Yep. McDonald’s was my first job at 16. I worked there for two years in high school, left to do other things, then worked there for another three years before I started on my career path.

[Deleted]

I’ve worked in the restaurant business but never fast food.

#buildscharacter

[starburst604]

Yes, for a few years. I realllly tried to work anywhere but there, but got no other offers and I needed money for gas and insurance since my grandfather was about to gift me his car (1980 Buick Regal baby!!) I also had friends that worked there so that actually made it fun. I kept working there beyond high school and became a PT shift manager my first year of college and during summers. I finally got tired of smelling like fried food and made the move into retail after that. I thought it was such a step up lol! But like I said in the other thread, it was a really good formative job for me. It was where I realized that no matter what job I’m doing, I want to do it well. I became a manager at my retail job as well. I met one of my best friends at McD’s too. She was a year ahead of me in high school so I knew who she was but we became great friends from working together, and we were in each other’s weddings and remain close friends.

[maudefindlay]

No fast food here, but one summer in college I stayed at school to take a couple courses and worked at a family owned deli. The cook, depending on how high he was, would some days be in full on pirate mode and if you brought an order back he wanted it read with an "Aargh!" at the end. He also hated 2 women who worked there and his pirate self would ban them from the kitchen and I was the only one allowed to come in and talk to him. It was entertaining and we got to bring leftover baked goods home, so my roommates who also stayed the summer loved me extra.

[starburst604]

I’d also like to share some funny stuff that happened at McDonald’s when I worked there. I became close with this girl T and her boyfriend worked there as well. They used to work the closing shifts and go out and party with the night manager, a married woman with 2 kids whose husband owned a different McD’s. One night when T was apparently not around, the closing crew went out partying and came back to the store in the early morning hours to get their cars. The opening manager noticed their cars there and heard something in the play place area. He went out and caught the night manager and T’s boyfriend going at it in the ball pit of the play place lol. Naturally all kinds of dramz ensued after that. Both were fired, and I’ve always wondered what the manager told her H about why she was fired.

Oddly enough, T and the cheating boyfriend have been married for like 20 years now. She had been sort of cheating with her xbf at that time so I think they called it even and worked things out.

[lea]

I did not but my H did.

[tacokick]

No. Food service is my nightmare.

[icedcoffee]

I said I’ve never worked fast food but I did work at Starbucks. Not sure if that counts….

[mcsangel2]

Jul 1, 2021 20:14:57 GMT -5 starburst604 said:

I’d also like to share some funny stuff that happened at McDonald’s when I worked there. I became close with this girl T and her boyfriend worked there as well. They used to work the closing shifts and go out and party with the night manager, a married woman with 2 kids whose husband owned a different McD’s. One night when T was apparently not around, the closing crew went out partying and came back to the store in the early morning hours to get their cars. The opening manager noticed their cars there and heard something in the play place area. He went out and caught the night manager and T’s boyfriend going at it in the ball pit of the play place lol. Naturally all kinds of dramz ensued after that. Both were fired, and I’ve always wondered what the manager told her H about why she was fired.

Oddly enough, T and the cheating boyfriend have been married for like 20 years now. She had been sort of cheating with her xbf at that time so I think they called it even and worked things out.

Wow.

Ew.

Wow.

[sandandsea]

Arby’s so close!

[rikki]

I selected no but then I remembered that I worked at Cousin’s Subs for 3 days when I was 17. I was let go after not showing up because I couldn’t leave my boyfriend.

[moreace01]

Does college food service count? I made pizza and nachos.

[penguingrrl]

Jul 1, 2021 20:38:01 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

I said I’ve never worked fast food but I did work at Starbucks. Not sure if that counts….

Same here. Starbucks is the only food service job I’ve had, and that was one winter break in college (so 3 weeks).

I’ve worked a bunch of retail jobs. But my mom only let me work jobs that I could walk or bike to, so fast food was out since there aren’t any within walk/bike distance.

[katfco]

No fast food. I worked in the college cafeteria for 4.5 years. That was something else.

My mom worked at McDonald's two different times of her working years. When I was young, she would bring home leftover chicken Mcnuggets for us. We loved it.

[isabel]

I worked in several restaurants, a Great American Cookie store, and a coffee shop, but no fast food.

[rosiebear]

My first job was at Hardee’s. I actually worked at McDonald’s after law school to make enough money for a trip to Paris. Quit after I’d earned the $$, but my manager asked me if I’d consider getting on the management track.

I have nothing but respect for fast food workers. They work hard and are underappreciated

[al dente]

I worked at a boujee McDonald's knockoff that was organic, grassfed beef that we had to grind in store. It was still fast food though.

Practically all my work experience is kitchens so I've worked all types of places. It's super hard work, both mentally and physically. Whether it's fast food or fine dining you are drained at the end. It kills me when people blow of restaurant kitchen work like it's the easy way out to get a job.

[pearls]

I haven't, but my mom did for a year or two to ease back into the workforce once we got to be about 10 maybe. My brother and I really enjoyed it because we got chicken nuggets and all the cool early 90s happy meal toys. I think she worked at night once my dad came home from work.

[stemmie]

For the summer after high school/before college. A number of people I knew from school worked there as well. Compared to babysitting it was actually a fun job.

[cherryvalance]

Yes, for two years in college.

I left to work in Express, thinking it would be a "step up" (no grease! Nice clothes!) and someone pissed in a bag and left it in the fitting room. At least that shit never happened at McD's.

[cjcouple]

So, I remember interviewing there one time. I was a bit older (23 maybe) and the manager wanted to bring me in as a shift lead or asst manager or something. I don't exactly recall what it was called but before I officially was hired, I got a job at a bank. lol

[Bernadine]

No, but I waited tables at Pizza Hut when I turned 16, and have had multiple serving jobs over the years, including at a comedy club. Food service is not for the faint of heart!