MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — The McDonald’s in Mayfield Heights, Ohio is again in enterprise. The restaurant closed just a few months in the past for transforming.
While the restaurant was closed, the long-time proprietor, Tony Philiou, continued to pay every worker.
“My employees helped me — without them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” Philiou mentioned.
Philiou got here to the U.S. from Greece in 1947. He was 15 years outdated.
After serving within the Korean War, he bought married, bought a full-time job at a manufacturing facility and acquired a home. The home wanted work and Philiou wanted extra money.
The home was simply throughout the road from the then newly-opened McDonald’s on Mayfield Road. In 1962, Philiou bought a second job on the restaurant. He earned 90 cents per hour.
“The rest is history. Nothing matters to me other than being here, because I belong here,” mentioned Philiou.
Over the following 60 years, he labored laborious, shifting up the ranks from part-time employee to administration, after which proprietor.
“He treats you like family no matter how long he’s known you. It could be one day, it could be 30 days, it could be three years. He loves the people that work here,” mentioned Mary Conti, a 45-year worker.
Philiou employed Ed Kocsis when he was 15 years outdated. He is now the overall supervisor.
“It wasn’t the plan originally. It was a job to get me through high school and through college. When I graduated from college, Tony made me an offer and it worked out very well,” mentioned Kocsis.
Philiou, now 90 years outdated, says he has achieved the American dream.
“Only in this country can this happen,” he mentioned.
This story was initially reported by Tracy Carloss on news5cleveland.com.
