Louisiana McDonald’s franchisee receives Golden Arch Award

Lake Charles, La. (KPLC) - Patel McDonald’s owner Ajay Patel and his family received the Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award, the highest honor for a McDonald’s franchisee, at the 2022 McDonald’s Worldwide Convention.

Patel owns 42 restaurants in Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia. He moved to the U.S. from India in 1978 and studied business at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, said Michaela Morgan of Patel McDonald’s.

Patel began working at McDonald’s as a cook in college, and he bought his first restaurant in New Orleans in 1993, Morgan said. Patel, working alongside his wife Bindu and sons Niel, Ricky and Mikesh, employs over 2,000 staff members throughout the franchise.

“I am honored, humbled, and thrilled at the same time,” Patel said. “The award was made possible by the dedicated contributions of every team member of Patel McDonald’s and my family. I dedicate this prestigious award to all of them. Together, we are an organization that is people-oriented, client-driven and committed to excellent, memorable customer service for each of our customers. It has been a joy for my family and I to be a part of the McDonald’s system and to now be Golden Arch Award winners is truly humbling.”

The Fred L. Turner Golden Arch Award, named for an early employee and CEO of McDonald’s, is granted to “individuals who put their customers and people first, lead with integrity, promote inclusion in their community and champion the McDonald’s system,” Morgan said.