Michael Rolver at McDonald's Nyborg. Photo credit: Jens Wognsen, Fyens.dk
"The fact that I am a franchisee in the McDonald's group was not a predefined destiny. So, to be perfectly honest, it's not a career I've been working towards. In my case, coincidence speaks for itself," Michael Rolver answers when asked how he got the idea to become a McDonald's franchisee.
Please read along for an insight into Michael Rolver's business journey.
Michael Rolver owns 11 McDonald's restaurants across Funen and the southern part of Jutland - and to get an insight into his business journey, JEROS was allowed to visit him in his very first restaurant - the one in Nyborg.
"I took over this restaurant in 2015. Before that, I did many things unrelated to the fast food industry. I've been self-employed with several businesses, selling everything from candy to toy products around Scandinavia."
While Michael talks about his passion for creating and running a business, one of his baristas serves 2 cups of coffee on the table. Americano. Served in sizeable white porcelain cups and saucers.
"We prioritize making the most of our McCafes," Michael points out. And when he speaks in the plural, it's because he's speaking on behalf of all 11 restaurants, each with their own McCafé:
"I can't even count how often our coffee beans have been optimized and refined in the unique blend Peter Larsen has developed exclusively for McDonald's Denmark. We are regularly checked to ensure that the individual coffee varieties are brewed as they should be, that the temperature is correct and that the coffee is served correctly.
Naturally, a lot of investment has been involved in establishing 11 McCafés. But change enriches us with new knowledge - which is why we spend a relatively large amount of resources on training selected employees as baristas and teaching them how to run a McDonald's café," Michael points out.
"In my first business, I was also a franchisee, just as I am at McDonald's. This way of doing business has always motivated me.
I am interested in doing business and in the development of the business. The business concept sparks me - how we develop it - grows - and gradually adds more and more employees."
"In Denmark, the workforce in the fast food industry is on the young side. Many employees start working for me in a leisure or student job. That's how the industry typically is in Denmark. However, you can efficiently work at McDonald's when you are both 30 and 35 years old - and I appreciate the experience that comes with age.
Some of my employees have advanced and chosen McDonald's as their career path. They have educated themself within the McDonald's group and now hold various management positions. But I'm still the old man," Michael laughs and continues:
"When I started working in Nyborg in 2015, I was younger and a few kilos lighter than today. Still, it takes work to keep up with the young people. At McDonald's Denmark, the pace is fast - and I clearly felt that my legs could be quicker and more agile than the young people's.
I was doing my best, but 8 hours at their pace takes its toll on young men and women! And I appreciate that they are going the extra mile ..."
Michael Rolver at McDonald's Nyborg. Photo credit: Jens Wognsen, Fyens.dk
"At McDonald's, a much more personalized interaction with guests is a newer initiative we've been building over the past few years.
In the past, guests would come into our lobby, order their food at the counter, have it handed to them, and then sit in the restaurant or take it home.
Today, we spend far more resources on training Guest Experience Leaders to help and serve our guests. You can compare them to restaurant hosts outside the fast food industry. In my restaurants, it's their job to make all guests feel welcome and comfortable - just like when we invite guests into our private homes.
This also means that my Guest Experience Leaders are more than happy to talk to our guests while ensuring that everything looks good in the restaurant and that guests don't miss anything. Together with our table service, this kind of service is an initiative in the fast food industry that we have only seen in the McDonald's group so far," Michael smiles and adds:
"In addition, we still prioritize high visibility around our restaurants - which is why we also have open kitchens so our guests can see how we work. We don't pack anything away."
"At McDonald's, our guests, first and foremost, get a well-stocked assortment. In addition, we constantly strive to fulfill our guests' wishes concerning the menu while keeping in mind the food culture trending now and preserving the good old McDonald's classics.
Considering how many different menu variations we make daily, we go to great lengths to fulfill our guests' very different requests for what to remove from the food and what to add extra - customized food in the shortest possible time.
A lot of what we do to give the guest the best possible experience is a given for me because I've been a part of McDonald's for so long," Michael explains thoughtfully.
My day typically consists of a lot of ad-hoc tasks.
When you're running an organization with around 1,000 employees across 11 restaurants and an administration, I've had to step back from having an overview of each restaurant. More or less, anyway. Instead, I have hired a team of senior supervisors, HR staff, payroll, and accounting - who work directly with the management of each restaurant.
My tasks are, therefore, primarily strategy development. Of course, I am obliged to follow the overall strategy that McDonald's sets out. However, it's perfectly legal to add on the strategy foundation and refine the areas you are most passionate about.
I also act as a sounding board for my senior leadership team, where each team member is responsible for operating a group of restaurants. Together, we bring our strategy foundation into play in the restaurants and follow up on KPIs and whatever else is needed. But at the end of the day, I have the ultimate responsibility for every guest who enters my restaurants and for each of my employees," Michael points out.
"When McDonald's comes up with new inputs to the overall strategy, it's my job to implement the new initiatives, as I have done with the McCafes.
And with 11 restaurants, it's no secret that there will be a lot of construction projects in the future.
The restaurant we're sitting in here in Nyborg will undergo a significant renovation, which has already started. Here, the exterior part is already begone - and that means including the terrace to the restaurant so that we have enough interior square meters for my other plans," Michael explains and continues:
"After the New Year, we will start erecting new exterior walls and installing a new roof, after which the restaurant will be closed for some time. And then the transformation will begin. We will have expanded the kitchen, built a new café, and made the restaurant more open and welcoming. Everything will be stripped and rebuilt.
It's going to be a massive project! And it's precisely the kind of project I spend a lot of time on - when it comes to determining which of my wishes can be realized - and when it comes to applying to the municipality, establishing a project plan together with the contractor and writing a business case that clarifies the cost aspects of the project.
It's going to be awesome! And I'm looking forward to welcoming even more guests to the restaurant," concludes a very service-minded and enthusiastic Michael Rolver.
At JEROS, we thank Michael for his hospitality and helpfulness. Especially when it comes to letting our film crew move into selected restaurants to depict how JEROS helps McDonald's streamline the cleaning processes associated with dishwashing so that restaurants achieve the shortest possible wash time with the least amount of water, energy, and chemicals.
Cleaning processes that ensure a consistent and bacteria-free result with every wash.
But before we pack up and head back to the JEROS's factory in Ringe, we need to highlight the award:
Out of McDonald's 104 restaurants, the Nyborg restaurant was awarded the Best McDonald's Restaurant of the Year 2020!
This is an award Michael attributes to an excellent management team and an overall team effort. In addition, McDonald's Nyborg has held the restaurant title with the country's highest turnover in July since 2016.
Great job!
Employees from McDonald's Nyborg at the award ceremony for the best McDonald's restaurant of the year 2020.
In our utensil washer, McDonald's can wash virtually all the items and utensils they use in and around the kitchen, café, and restaurant. Our utensil washer easily cleans and disinfects even the elements that make up the fryer and the trays on which guests are served their food.
Watch the video to see how JEROS helps McDonald's achieve quick and easy dishwashing. A dishwashing that ensures a consistent and bacteria-free result with every wash!
Meet JEROS at McDonald's
