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Kingston area McDonald's owners calling it a career

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Wednesday was a bittersweet day for longtime McDonald’s owner/operators Ron and Karen Sutherland. Ron hung around the main store on Division Street cleaning out the head office, taking phone calls, and Karen drove to six of their seven restaurants in Kingston and Gananoque. Regardless of where they were, tears formed liberally and hugs were plentiful.

That’s because Wednesday was the Sutherlands’ last day on the job: the Sutherlands are retiring.

“It’s a great day for memories,” Karen said. “But it’s a hard day for saying goodbye ...

“Don’t be sad, be happy for us. We’ve been married almost 40 years and we’re healthy and we want to spend time together and with our children and our grandchildren and ...”

“Get out of here in the winter,” Ron chirped in while crossing his arms and leaning back in his office chair. “I don’t like the winter much.”

The couple opened their first restaurant together in 1995 with two locations in Perth and Smith Falls. Karen sent Ron’s 70-year-old mother and aunt in on the first day to clean tables because they were so excited.

“They wore crew uniforms and they worked for eight hours cleaning tables,” Karen laughed. “They just wanted to be part of the moment … we had cars lined up down Highway 7, we had employees that had never eaten McDonald’s.”

A year later they spread to Gananoque, and in 2000 moved into Kingston. For most of their career as owners/operators, it has been reasonably smooth sailing. The more difficult times were when they commuted from Kingston to Perth, when they, at one time, owed more money than the town of Perth owed, and whenever a new food item failed — such as toasted deli sandwiches.

“Overall, there are so many more good memories than bad,” Ron said. “We tried [the deli sandwiches], but it didn’t work. Pizza did well. Kingston was one of the first markets to roll out pizza, it just didn’t fit well into our quick service … I liked our pizza.”

Ron started working with McDonald’s in 1972 in his hometown of Montreal, making $1.85 an hour, part time. It seems a very long time ago, as he tells the story of when he was initially turned away for the job while sitting in the Kingston head office under the mold of a 53-pound salmon he personally caught in British Columbia.

“I had long hair and almost a beard, and the manager said, ‘I’m sorry, we have an appearance code here,’” Ron said. “So I went and shaved and got my hair cut. I went back and he didn’t recognize me, but he hired me and the rest is history, as they say.”

The Sutherlands agree that they’ll miss their “McFamily” the most, some of whom they’ve been working with since they started in the business. All but one of the general managers have been with McDonald’s for 30 years, the other has been with the company for a little more than 20.

“It’s a family. We watch them get married, have kids, we have some second generation working with us. It’s kind of cool,” Ron said. “It helps keep you young, because you’re busy.”

Over the years, the local McDonald’s restaurants have participated in the community, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars locally for McHappy Day and the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area.

“The staff are unbelievable, though,” Ron said adamantly. “We get a lot of the credit, but most of the work is done by the employees. They do all the bake sales, the car washes.”

The Sutherlands sold their seven locations to Todd and Amy Shea of Yarmouth, N.S. Ron said they took their time finding a successor. They first started talking with the Sheas in June and made the decision to sell to them in November.

“We’re very comfortable with Todd and Amy,” Ron said. “They’re very similar to us when we were starting: two daughters, one going off to school. They have a lot of energy, come very well recommended.”

With a new owner, employees have the opportunity to leave McDonald’s, but all 544 of them are staying on. Most were told the Sutherlands were leaving last week.

“It was very, very important to us that whoever took over would take care of our people,” Karen said. “That they respect them and treat them like family.”

Todd was at the Division Street location on Wednesday while Amy was back in Nova Scotia with their two daughters: 15-year-old Hunter and 17-year-old Hailey. The Shea family will be moving Kingston this summer after Hailey graduates high school.

The Sheas owned two McDonald’s locations in Yarmouth, but start in Kingston on Thursday.

The Shea family has previously lived in Ontario and has always wanted to return. Shea said that being offered the Kingston businesses by head office was a dream.

“Head office asked me, ‘If I had to pick one place to live where would it be?’ I said, ‘Kingston,’ and they said, ‘Well, it’s up for sale,’” Shea said.

Previous to owning his McDonald’s, Todd worked for McCain Foods and then PepsiCo Beverage Canada for 17 years.

Plans for the Sutherlands’ future haven’t been nailed down, but that’s the benefit of retirement. They know they want to spend more time with their daughters and grandchildren, travel Canada and definitely become snowbirds.

“We’ll be doing whatever we want,” Karen said, with Ron chuckling along with her. “Get back involved in the community, doing some volunteer work, I’m a goal girl: I need a goal. Ron could golf every day ...”

“Well, not every day,” Ron interjected with a small, nostalgic smile.

scrosier@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/StephattheWhig 

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