K Foley Ltd owner Kevin Foley is delighted to have taken over the Wroxham restaurant branch 26 years since his father owned the store.
K Foley already owns ten McDonald’s stores across Norwich and Norfolk and the family has been running McDonald’s restaurants since the 1980s.
In fact, what makes the Wroxham take over so special for Kevin, is that it was this very store he first opened as a manager, alongside his dad, Terry Foley 26 years ago.
Now he’s returning it to the K Foley fold.
Kevin said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be adding Wroxham to my franchise. It’s really exciting for all of us involved and a particularly proud event as my father previously owned this store and in 1995 I opened it and ran this very branch.
“The opportunity to take this restaurant over was too good to miss so it will be great to get started. It’s a special time in the company’s history and we hope the Wroxham customers will be pleased to have us.”
The Foley family have a long history with McDonalds, with Terry Foley being the first ever UK company employee to be granted a franchise.
He first opened a store in central London in 1974, overseeing the opening of restaurants across Central London and the South East of England, when Kevin was just 12. Now he often jokes that he grew up with “ketchup in his veins.”
The family name became synonymous with the evolution of McDonald’s in the UK and Terry worked closely back in the 1970s with the McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc to help establish the brand in Britain.
Later, Kevin gained his own set of the famous golden arches when he became the company’s first UK-based second-generation franchisee.
In 1999 he purchased the Tuckswood branch from his father and the K Foley company has gone from strength to strength.
Now, the businessman, who sponsors local football and rugby teams and is known for always lending a helping hand to local causes, is making Wroxham his eleventh McDonald’s Restaurant.
He said: “It’s been a busy few weeks getting ready for the takeover, we will be keeping on any staff who wish to stay, of course and we look forward to making them part of the K Foley team.
“I’ve already visited and met some of the staff, including the nephew of a lady who worked there with us more than twenty years ago, a lobby staff member called Maureen, which is a lovely link.
“I’m looking forward to making more links with the local community and my team and I can’t wait to meet the Wroxham customers.”