The Ray Kroc Story

If I had a brick for every time Ive repeated the phrase Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value, I
think Id probably be able to bridge the Atlantic Ocean with them. Ray Kroc
How do you create a restaurant empire and become an overnight success at the age of 52? As
Ray Kroc said, I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.
Origins
In 1917, 15-year-old Ray Kroc lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver,
but the war ended before his training finished. He then worked as a piano player, a paper cup
salesman and a multi-mixer salesman.

In 1954 he was surprised by a huge order for 8 multi-mixers from a restaurant in San Bernardino,
California. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac
McDonald, and was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited
menu, concentrating on just a few itemsburgers, fries and beverageswhich allowed them to
focus on quality at every step.
Kroc pitched his vision of creating McDonalds restaurants all over the U.S. to the brothers. In
1955 he founded the McDonalds Corporation, and 5 years later bought the exclusive rights to the
McDonalds name. By 1958, McDonalds had sold its 100 millionth hamburger.
A Unique Philosophy

Ray Kroc wanted to build a restaurant system that would be famous for food of consistently high
quality and uniform methods of preparation. He wanted to serve burgers, buns, fries and
beverages that tasted just the same in Alaska as they did in Alabama.

In bussines for yourself, but not by yourself.

To achieve this, he chose a unique path: persuading both franchisees and suppliers to buy into
his vision, working not for McDonalds, but for themselves, together with McDonalds. He
promoted the slogan, In business for yourself, but not by yourself. His philosophy was based on
the simple principle of a 3-legged stool: one leg was McDonalds, the second, the franchisees,
and the third, McDonalds suppliers. The stool was only as strong as the 3 legs.

Rewarding Innovation

Ray Kroc believed in the entrepreneurial spirit, and rewarded his franchisees for individual
creativity. Many of McDonalds most famous menu itemslike the Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish and the
Egg McMuffin were created by franchisees. At the same time, the McDonalds operating
system insisted franchisees follow the core McDonalds principles of quality, service, cleanliness
and value.

The Roots of Quality

McDonalds passion for quality meant that every single ingredient was tested, tasted and
perfected to fit the operating system. As restaurants boomed, the massive volume of orders
caught the attention of suppliers, who began taking McDonalds standards as seriously as
McDonalds did. As other quick service restaurants began to follow, McDonalds high standards
rippled through the meat, produce and dairy industries.Again, Ray Kroc was looking for a
partnershipthis time with McDonalds suppliersand he managed to create the most
integrated, efficient and innovative supply system in the food service industry. These supplier
relationships have flourished over the decades: in fact, many McDonalds suppliers operating
today first started business with a handshake from Ray Kroc.

Hamburger University
In 1961, Ray launched a training program, later called Hamburger University, at a new restaurant
in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. There, franchisees and operators were trained in the scientific
methods of running a successful McDonalds. Hamburger U also had a research and
development laboratory to develop new cooking, freezing, storing and serving methods. Today,
more than 80,000 people have graduated from the program.

The End of a Legend

Right up until he died on January 14, 1984, Ray Kroc never stopped working for McDonald's.
Even when he was confined to a wheelchair, he still went to work in the office in San Diego nearly
every day. He would keep a hawk's eye over the McDonald's restaurant near his office, phoning
the manager to remind him to pick up the trash, clean his lot, and turn on the lights at night.
From his passion for innovation and efficiency, to his relentless pursuit of quality, and his many
charitable contributions, Ray Krocs legacy continues to be an inspirational, integral part of
McDonalds today.
El Ray Kroc Historia
"Si yo tuviera un ladrillo por cada vez que he repetido la frase de Calidad, Servicio,
Limpieza y Valor, creo que probablemente sera capaz de tender un puente sobre el
Ocano Atlntico con ellos." De Ray Kroc
Cmo crear un imperio de restaurantes y convertirse en un xito de la noche a la
edad de 52? Como dijo Ray Kroc, "yo era un xito de noche est bien, pero 30 aos
es mucho, la noche."
Orgenes
En 1917, 15 aos de edad, Ray Kroc minti sobre su edad para unirse a la Cruz Roja
como conductor de ambulancias, pero la guerra termin antes de su entrenamiento
finaliz. Luego trabaj como pianista, un vendedor de la taza de papel y un vendedor
multi-mesa de mezclas.

En 1954 fue sorprendido por una enorme orden de 8 multi-mezcladores de un

restaurante en San Bernardino, California. All encontr a un pequeo pero exitoso
restaurante dirigido por los hermanos Dick y Mac McDonald, y fue sorprendido por la
eficacia de su funcionamiento. Produjeron un men limitado, concentrndose en unos
pocos artculos-hamburguesas, papas fritas y bebidas-que les permiti centrarse en
la calidad en cada paso.
Kroc plant su visin de crear los restaurantes McDonald de todo los EE.UU. a los
hermanos. En 1955 fund la Corporacin McDonald, y 5 aos ms tarde compr los
derechos exclusivos sobre el nombre de McDonald. En 1958, McDonald haba vendido
su hamburguesa nmero 100 millones.
Una filosofa nica
Ray Kroc quera construir un sistema de restaurante que sera famoso por su comida
de alta calidad y en mtodos uniformes de preparacin. l quera servir
hamburguesas, bollos, patatas fritas y bebidas que saba lo mismo en Alaska como lo
hicieron en Alabama.

En los bussines para s mismo, pero no est solo.

Para ello, eligi un camino nico: persuadir a ambos franquiciados y proveedores
para comprar en su visin, que no trabaja para McDonald, sino por ellos mismos,
junto con McDonald. l promovi el lema "En el negocio por s mismo, pero no est
solo." Su filosofa se basa en el simple principio de un taburete de 3 patas: una pata
fue McDonalds, la segunda, los franquiciados, y el tercero, los proveedores de
McDonald. El taburete era tan fuerte como las 3 patas.
Premiar InnovationRay Kroc crea en el espritu empresarial, y recompens a sus
franquiciados para la creatividad individual. Muchos de los elementos-como men

ms famosos de McDonald de la Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish y el McMuffin- huevo fueron

creados por los franquiciados. Al mismo tiempo, el sistema operativo de McDonald
insisti franquiciados siguen los principios de McDonald ncleo de calidad, servicio,
limpieza y valor.