A trip to Hamburger University

I heard from McDonald’s operations people that restaurant managers here are sent to the Hamburger University to take up a Restaurant Leadership Practices course. It’s probably the only fast-food chain in the Philippines that sends restaurant operators to a real Hamburger University for quality training.

And now, I get to go.

At Chicago’s O’Hare airport is a McDonald’s – one of the 30,000 restaurants in 119 countries –and I was probably the 50-millionth served that day. On the menu board were some of the world’s most favorite foods: French fries, Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, Egg McMuffin, and fresh salads.

My colleague Butch Salaya went to summon the limousine he had arranged from back home. We stood outside, freezing, waiting for our ride. Finally, a black Lincoln stopped right in front of us and then brought us to Hamburger University.

My sister Fierlyn Whitaker, who resides in Chicago, was incredulous when I informed her I was going to Hamburger University.

"Are you kidding?" she said.

Absolutely not.

McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was dead serious about his business. Hamburger University is McDonald’s worldwide management training center, located in the McDonald’s Home Office Campus in Oak Brook, Illinois. It is here that personnel employed by McDonald’s Corporation and its independent franchisees learn about the various aspects of the business from 30 or so resident professors.

Of the 65,000 managers who have graduated from Hamburger University, about 700 came from McDonald’s Philippines. All training programs begin with the basics of McDonald’s operations. My trip, however, was really to learn more about McDonald’s heart and soul: the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

RMHC believes that "A strong mind, a strong body, and a safe, supportive place to grow…are the things that every child needs – and deserves – to have."

RMCH-Philippines chairman George Yang supports three major projects, namely, The Bahay Bulilit Day Care Center, Bright Minds Read, and RMHC-GK Village.

The Bahay Bulilit, a partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, builds day-care centers in 300-sq.m. lots in poor communities. These centers are havens of early learning for street children and a secure place for working mothers to leave their children while they are at work. Bahay Bulilit has centers in Makati, Pasay, Mandaluyong, Manila, Quezon City and Taytay, Rizal.

Bright Minds Read, a program with the Department of Education-National Capital Region (NCR), aims to teach non-readers in Grade 1. It is now in its third year and has established a beginner’s reading program available to public schools. Bright Minds is currently used in 14 cities in Metro Manila and in major cities of Visayas and Mindanao, teaching 20,000 children every year. It is also being used in Petron’s Foundation education program.

The RMHC-GK Village in Taytay Rizal is in partnership with Gawad Kalinga. RMHC builds homes for 100 families whose shanties are standing on a 10-foot-tall garbage pile. Currently, there are 43 homes built and 20 more will be added this year.

Ronald Mcdonald Cares

Back at the McDonald’s campus, I sat in the middle of the huge conference room and saw just how global the RMHC network is. On this day, representatives from 180 RMHC chapters in 47 countries gathered together to learn more about it.

The idea behind RMHC is simple: Provide a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children who are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. Some children have to travel great distances to get the medical attention they need. In-hospital treatment may last one day, one year, or even longer. For the families of these children, accommodations can be hard to come by; options are often limited to costly hotels or unforgiving hospital chairs and benches.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities has 245 houses globally. It provides a comfortable, supportive alternative for these families. It serves as a temporary residence near the medical facility where family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations. In return, families are asked to make a donation ranging from $5 to $20 per day. If that isn’t possible, their stay is free.

Through relationships with local healthcare providers, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program brings cost-effective, high-quality medical and dental care directly to under-served children in both rural and urban areas. The Care Mobiles provide immunization and health screening, oral health services, diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases, and health education to children who would otherwise go without health care.

Unlike most other mobile clinics, which are actually converted recreational vehicles, these state-of-the-art Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles are designed and built specifically for the delivery of pediatric health care that’s tailored to each community’s needs.

Each 40-foot-long, eight-foot-wide Ronald McDonald Care Mobile houses two patient examination rooms, prenatal exam capabilities, a laboratory, and a reception and medical records area. Some vehicles include a hearing screen booth while others offer a dental hygiene room, a unique service not typically available in other mobile health care programs.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile staff consists of a pediatrician, pediatric nurse, dentist, dental hygienist and program manager; other staff members may include a social worker and other pediatric specialists.

Ronald McDonald Family Rooms are an extension of the Ronald McDonald House program, providing a haven within the hospital for the families of children undergoing treatment. The Family Room provides the comforts of home to alleviate the anxiety and frustration families experience in a hospital environment. Families use the Family Room to rest, reflect or even freshen up with a shower.

The first Ronald McDonald Family Room opened in 1992 in Kansas City. Today, there are 60 Family Rooms in seven countries: the United States, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Ronald McDonald House Charities’ (RMHC) local chapters – with support from Global RMHC, McDonald’s Corporation and McDonald’s restaurants – also offer scholarships to students from communities who face limited access to educational and career opportunities.

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With my three-day training at the Hamburger University, I also met Filipinos who worked at the Hyatt Hotel (a joint venture with McDonald’s) where I stayed. The front office manager, Bernan Redonca, the restaurant cashier, Lisa Mariano, and the Restaurant Chef, Antonio Asuncio, served me with a hospitality that was truly Filipino.