Eating local: Nationally-branded restaurants

Eating local: Nationally-branded restaurants

TALKED ABOUT EATINGLOCAL, GETTING TAKEOUT FROM LOCALRESTAURANTS ANDSUPPORTING LOCAL.BUT WHAT DEFINES ALOCAL RESTAURANT?REPORTER PHILBERGMAN HAS MOREON A GROUP OFRESTAURANTS THATYOU MAY NOT THINKOF AS LOCAL DINING.WHILE MANY OF USTHINK LOCAL AS YOURTYPICAL MOM ANDPOP RESTAURANT,THIS MCDONALDS ISALSO A LOCALRESTAURANT.AS A FRANCHISE, IT'SOWNED AN OPERATEDBY SOMEONE HERE INNEBRASKA.I'VE HAD FRIENDS SAYYOU SHOULD EATLOCALLY AND I SAY ITIS LOCAL.IT'S WHERE I LIVE ANDIT IS OWNED BYPEOPLE THAT LIVEWHERE I LIVE.ZOE OLSON IS THEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOROF THE NEBRASKARESTAURANTASSOCIATION.SHE SAYS MOSTNATIONALLY-BRANDEDRESTAURANTS INNEBRASKA AREOWNED BY INDIVIDUALFRANCHISESOWNERS.IT'S A BIGMISCONCEPTION ANDUNLESS YOU'VE BEENIN THE RESTAURANTINDUSTRY ORUNDERSTAND HOWFRANCHISES WORK,YOU THINK IT IS A BIGCORPORATION ANDTHEY DON'T CAREABOUT ANYTHINGLOCAL.AS A FRANCHISEOWNER I CERTAINLYUNDERSTAND IT.YOU SEE WHATEVERTHE BRAND IS THATYOU'RE FRANCHISEDWITH.I UNDERSTANDTHEY'RE ALL OWN BYA NATIONAL COMPANYAND THEY'RE NOTLOCALLY OWNED.STEVE LEONARD ISONE OF THESEFRANCHISE OWNERSAND OPERATORSASTHE OWNER OF 21MCDONALD'SFRANCHISES INNEBRASKA AND IOWA,HE CURRENTLYEMPLOYS 1200PEOPLE.WHILE OTHERCOMPANIES MAY BEDIFFERENT, HE SAYSIN NEBRASKA, ALLMCDONALDSFRANCHISES ARELOCALLY-OWNED.OLSON SAYS THIS IS ABIG PLUS FOR OURAREA.EVERYBODY THATWORKS AT HISRESTAURANT LIVESHERE, NO BIG BADCORPORATION ISSENDING IN WORKERSBY THE BUSLOADS TOWORK INCOMMUNITIES.THOSE FRANCHISEWORKERS LIVE HEREWORK HERE ANDSPEND THEIRLIVELIHOODS ANDMONEY HERE.LIKE MOSTRESTAURANTSACROSS THE STATE,LEONARD ISN'T DOINGTHE SAME AMOUNT OFBUSINESS AS BEFORE.CURRENTLY HE'S NOTALLOWING ANYDINERS INSIDE.WE'RE STILL SEEINGPEOPLE COME TO OURRESTAURANTS ANDTHEY'RE COMINGTHROUGH THE DRIVETHROUGH.ONE OF THEDIFFERENCETHOUGHWHILE THELOCAL RESTAURANTSARE ON THEIR OWNTO GET THROUGH THEPANDEMIC,NATIONALLY-BRANDEDRESTAURANTS HAVETHE BENEFIT OFSUPPORT ANDGUIDANCE FROM ANATIONAL OFFICE.THE GUIDANCE THEYCAN GIVE ME IN ANDAROUND THE WAY WEMIGHT WANT TOOPERATE ONCE WEREOPEN IS VERY VITALTO HOW WE PROTECTOUR CUSTOMERS ANDALL OF OUR STAFF INA SAFE AND CLEANENVIRONMENT.THERE'S NO RIGHT ORWRONG PLACE TO EATOUT AT, BUTREMEMBEROURPERCEPTION OF WHATIS LOCAL MAY BEDIFFERENT THANWHAT IT ACTUALLY ISIS.UNDERSTAND THATFRANCHISES ARELOCAL RESTAURANTSTOOYOU PROBABLYKNOW SOMEONE WHOWORKS AT AFRANCHISE YOU JUSTDIDN'T REALIZE ITWASN'TCORPORATELYOWNED.REPORTING INOMAHA, PHILBERGMAN, 3 NEWSNOW.LEONARD SAYS BEINGINVOLVED IN THECOMMUNITY HASHELPED HISRESTAURANTS GETTHE WORD OUT THATTHEY'RE LOCALLYOWNED.WHEN IT COMES TOREOPENINGMCDONALD'S SPECIFICALLYSENT OUT A 59-PAGEGUIDE TO ITSRESTAURANTSDETAILING EXTRAPRECAUTIONS THEYHAVE TO TAKE TOKEEP STAFF ANDCUSTOMERS SAFE.NOW TO OURCORONAVI