“The Founder”
The Founder is a 2016 biographical drama film that is directed by John Lee Hancock and written
by Robert Siegel. Starring is Michael Keaton as businessman “Ray Kroc”. This is a story of his
creation of the Mc Donald’s fast-food restaurant chain and how persistence and determination
aide him in his drive in changing the way hamburgers are made and sold. Ray is a travelling
milkshake machine salesman who has a supportive wife named Ethel that has saved a lot to live
a comfortable life, but this seems not enough for him. As he kept on travelling, he noticed that
many of the drive-in restaurants that he tries to sell to are inefficiently run. One day, unusual
thing happened when a drive-in in a certain place ordered a large number of milkshakes mixers.
And this is where it all started when he met the Mc Donald brothers who own the drive-in
restaurant that ordered the said mixers. They give him a tour of the kitchen and he was surprised
with the way they operate it so he invites the two into dinner. They tell him the origin story of
Mc Donald’s and how they came to design their what-so-called “fast food” system. The next day,
Ray suggest that the brothers franchise the restaurant but the both hesitate. According to them
they already tried before but failed because of their absentee franchisees who lack in upholding
their standard and system. Ray persist and so he was able to convince the siblings, being him to
lead their franchising efforts on the condition that he agrees to a strict contract, which requires
all changes be subject to the Mc Donald brother’s approval. He started with the wealthy investors
but failed because of poor management ethic. So he tried the idea to the middle-class investors,
this proves successful and so they were able to follow the Mc Donald formula. Many heard, so a
lot of franchises started to open. Until he meets another upscale restaurant owner who wishes
to invest who also has a beautiful wife Joan, to whom Ray is immediately attracted. Despite his
success, he begins to encounter financial difficulties as his share of franchise profits are limited
due to his contract, which the Mc Donald brothers decline to renegotiate. Meanwhile, the owners
are encountering higher than expected costs, particularly for refrigeration of large amounts of
ice cream milkshakes so Joan suggested a powdered milkshake as a way to avoid this costs, but
again, Mc Donald brother’s disagree. This time, Ray met a financial consultant, who heard about
what he is going through so he requests to review ray’s books. The consultant concluded and told
Ray that real profit opportunity for him is in providing real estate to the franchisees. According
to him, this will not only provide a revenue stream but also a leverage over the franchisees and
the brothers. Ray gambled again and incorporates a new company, Franchise Realty Corporation,
and attracts new investors. This allows him to open new restaurants without the brother’s
approval. This upsets the brothers and he continuously defies him so as with the powdered
milkshake Joan suggested. He now divorced his wife. Ray renames his company the Mc Donald’s
Corporation and demands to be released from his contract and buy the McDonald brothers out.
And so he did! The movie ends where Ray prepares a speech praising himself with his success
and stating that he was able to achieve his goals through persistence and not by talent or strong
work ethic, and that his accomplishment is a proof of Dr. Nelson’s belief that “Nothing in the
world can take the place of persistence” and so his new wife Joan was also there.
I was actually glued to the screen the first time I caught it and it gave me so many management
“A-ha” moments while I was watching. McDonald restaurant has what they called a “speedee
system” managed by the two brothers. They have people assigned to every tasks, each has
function to do and a process to follow. Same thing with me, each and every one in our
organization has a unique role, task and responsibility. And I myself, must stick to process in
achieving our goal. Follow it to accomplished what is need to be done. But his movie served a
lesson that not every process can go on smoothly. It is the scene where Mac and Dick where restrategizing their kitchen operation on a tennis court. Sometimes, it may be hard to implement
with so many trial and error. But it never stops there, because with persistence and
determination everything is possible.
Technically, Ray did not found the McDonald’s restaurant. He had it first franchised from the
McDonald’s brothers, then bought it out rightly from them and build it to his dream as a
Corporation. Well, for me, he actually did the right thing. Though the McDonald brother are
credible restaurant owners, they had a poor foresight and a severe lack of business insight. They
may have the right amount of knowledge and talent, but Ray has persistence and determination
with their fear in making a franchising possible. According to him, it may not have worked out
the first time with their poor management strategy but why not try again, it may work this time.
Really, this film is related to problems in our present day world. Afraid to try again because it did
not work out the first time, afraid to take chances, and to take risks. But as what the saying goes
“the higher the risk, the higher the return”. Why settled with a better management strategy when
you can have the best, only if you go out with your comfort zone and try. One of the existing issue
is actually growing the business, where the Mc Donald’s brother did try through franchising but
they failed and so they are afraid to try again. And here comes Ray who they accepted as another
investor and to lead the franchising again. The problem arises because Ray wanted to expand
more the business but with limited resource due to the contract with the siblings, and solve the
problem with the current franchisees in avoiding costs as to refrigeration of ice cream milkshakes.
But both of these were disagreed by the siblings because for them they already set standards. As
for me, there’s nothing wrong as to setting standards but in the market in order for the industry
to grow and boom always be competitive. If their standard is making a milkshake out of an ice
cream but with too much costs when they can actually avoid the costs with having a powdered
milkshake instead but with the same taste, why not? This is actually a very brilliant idea, very
cost efficient. Maybe the real problem here is how to manage the business or the management
process, Ray has the ideas and the siblings have their certain standards to follow. They already
have the “speedee”
System, strategy in their kitchen in making hamburgers and they follow certain standard but what
they are lacking is the delegation as to different duties and responsibilities and who is in-charged
in doing this and that, and who is to approved. Planning as one of an important aspect in
management is concerned in defining goals for the company’s path to follow, but as to the movie
Ray has a goal in growing and expanding the business while the siblings on the other hand has
set their standard as to how they started the business and their focus is only to continue and
remain the business as what it is, which I believe they should collaborate and make their mission
as one so they can meet their end goal. Organizing on the other hand, as to authority who to do
the different functions which they also lack in their business. Dividing work and function as to
Ray is in-charged with marketing, and Mac is in-charged as to the approvals and so on. Now Dick’s
duty is to direct the people in the business, supervising, guiding and ensuring that they are doing
their duties in achieving common goal. And lastly, controlling. Checking for errors which is certain
in a company must be a function of someone to have a corrective action just in case. Maybe if
they have follow these, it may worked out smoothly and they may have remained as business
partners, growing Mc Donald’s into even stronger and competitive Corporation. As what the
famous saying goes, “two heads are better than one”.
And for me, great things like these must not be put to waste especially Ray have seen it not just
to be what the brothers think it could be but something even bigger. Who will not do the same
thing as what Ray did given that opportunity to become a successful businessman? I will be glad
to do so if given a chance. As what the saying goes; “opportunity knocks only once”. Let us apply
it into our lives that there should be no opportunity to waste. And these days, come to think of
it, without Ray’s ideas, we won’t have that delicious standardized fast-food restaurant called
McDonald’s that always satisfies and solved our cravings. From my point of view, Ray saw the
future of the restaurant despite the frequent fierce conflicts with the two brothers. If only they
did not have that conflict, who knows? they might have continued as business partners and
shared the triumph of having a successful corporation.
In my conclusion, I think business owner should be visionary as what Ray Kroc did. They must not
play too safe in the business industry because if they do, competitors will break them. Thus, in
doing business, always remember to learn how to gamble and to take risks. Let’s do something
today, for us not to regret in the future. Also, be persistent. Not everyone got what they wanted
at first try. Same as to our Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, she kept on trying on the pageant
and won on her third try. So, let’s try and try. It maybe multiple times but it will surely be worth
it.