Prize for MacExcellence

SUSTAINED excellence during his time at McDonald’s has helped Rasmussen restaurant manager Mathew Taylor claim the prestigious Ray Kroc Award.

The Ray Kroc award, named after the McDonald’s pioneer, is the highest accolade awarded to management and recognises the top 1 per cent of restaurant managers around the world.

Taylor will officially receive the honour at the 2018 McDonalds worldwide convention in Orlando in April, the culmination of an impressive rise from humble beginnings in Ayr.

“I started off as a crew person in the Ayr Restaurant and worked my way up the Management ranks completing my Advanced Diploma of Management,” he said. “I was recognised by the company last year when I was awarded the Silver Spatula award for the top 5 per cent and I was stoked with that.

“I honestly didn’t think the Ray Kroc Award would happen so when I got an email from the world CEO of McDonald’s at 4am letting me know and con- gratulating me it was a great feeling.”

Taylor served as the restaurant manager in Ayr from 2007- 2010 before moving on to the role at the Willows restaurant and then making the move to the Rasmussen store when it opened in Townsville. “I had a very young team around me when I stepped into the role at Rasmussen but they were all very eager to learn and grow,” he said. “They just needed to be pointed in the right direction and it was great to be able to help them progress and improve.”

Outside of rubbing shoulders with fellow standout employees at the worldwide convention, Taylor was also looking forward to the highly anticipated “show floor”.

“The show floor features all these weird and wonderful ideas for equipment in the restaurants,” he said. “I’m really interested in the technology side of things. Paul Rissman, owner of McDonald’s Rasmussen is proud Mat’s hard work and effort has seen him rewarded in the top 1 per cent of Restaurant Managers globally.