A day in the life of a McDonalds Manager

Rita Frost is Business Manager of Sprucefield McDonald’s.
Rita FrostRita Frost
Rita Frost

She lives in Holywood with her husband Kevin and children Ciaran, 14, and Niamh, 11.

Rita has been with the firm for 20 years and based locally for 12 years. After studying food and account management she applied for a position with McDonald’s and has never looked backed with her career going from strength to strength.

After the children go off to school I will leave for work. My hours vary throughout the week and I might be starting later on in the day depending on the shift.

My shift starts with me reviewing how things have gone on the current shift. This helps highlight areas which need attention and enables us to prioritise work for the staff. I will look at our people plan to ensure there’s enough staff so that everything will flow smoothly on the floor and often I could be asked to join a franchise meeting. I also hold weekly meetings with the management team which consists of 24 managers to discuss our weekly plan as well as being at meetings with outside agencies such as the Sprucefield Centre to discuss Christmas promotions or I could be giving a question and answer session with students from local colleges.

I am always forward thinking - this is key to running any business. I have to review sales, service, speed times etc and will liaise with a consultant for the company who visits to review how we are doing and how we can further develop the business.

We receive deliveries four days a week and a senior manager is responsible for checking these and making sure stock is adequately replenished and the deliveries are in good condition. Rotas and schedules are also worked on with the management team and this means I can focus on the general running of the business.

At least once a month I have to complete a healthy check on each of the 12 systems we have in place to make sure we are reaching potential. Each manager has a sub team . At the end of the day the buck stops with me and how we are progressing is a reflection on my work so I do like to keep in top of things.

Work occupies 80% of my time but it’s very important to try and strike a balance between work and home life. I always think if you are happy at work then you’ll be happy at home. In my spare time I am involved with a scouts group near where I live and this keeps me busy alongside being a member of the PTA. I do lead a busy life but I love it.

Related topics: