BUSINESS

branches. Three of them are in Ostrava,

and one is in Havířov. I already know that

I would like to open more establishments

with golden arches in Moravian-Silesian

Region. I see many opportunities for

further development here.

What is it like to work under a global

brand? How much is the American

corporate culture reflected in your

branches?

The history of McDonald’s, the size

of the brand and the global reach is

a huge advantage for me as the owner.

The organization of processes and

experience from other markets create

conditions that significantly reduce

the time to find the right solutions and

thus the desired results are achieved faster.

However, at the same time it is also a big

commitment, as I am not only representing

myself, but also one of the most valuable

brands in the world. In the time that I have

been working at McDonald’s, I haven’t

found any significant differences in culture

or any apparent elements of American

culture. Except maybe the fact that we

are all on first-name terms with each other

in our restaurants. On the other hand,

the different experiences from different

markets around the world, and therefore

also the American market, are implemented

within our internal regulations.

Can you tell us how financially

challenging it is to open a McDonald’s

branch in the Czech Republic? After how

long does it become profitable?

Every single restaurant opening is

different. It depends on the choice of

location, whether it is a greenfield site or

a restaurant in an existing building, the size

of the plot, the number of parking spaces,

etc. Generally, the total investment is in

the order of tens of millions of crowns.

Part of this amount is paid by McDonald’s

and part by the franchisee. Again,

the performance of a given restaurant

depends on many factors, especially in

the recent turbulent years. Given the size

of the investment the opening of a new

establishment is usually financed by a loan

from the bank. In the best case scenario,

the restaurant starts making a profit from

the moment it opens. The return on such

an investment for the owner is calculated

to be around seven years.

Mr Ostrý, thank you for the interview.

Text a foto: redakce

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