Asbury Park Press:
Look back over the last 33 years, and you can see that McDonald’s has played a major role in Linda Chapman’s life.
She started working behind the counter at a McDonald’s in Howell on Route 9 at age 18, serving up burgers and working the register, to pay her way through college. Eventually, she became a manager.
Chapman decided to make a move to McDonald’s operator 10 years ago and now co-owns 16 locations in Monmouth and Ocean counties with her husband, Harry “Sandy” Chapman, the son of the McDonald’s owner who gave her a start.
“I really loved what I was doing,” said Chapman, 51, Toms River. “It’s hard work but it’s very rewarding.”
Chapman’s experience working at McDonald’s over the years gave her the experience to run an operation. She could have opened up her own restaurant or another business, but she chose to become a franchise owner.
She’s not alone. Franchising can be a successful way of getting into business, said Justin M. Klein, a Red Bank lawyer who specializes in franchising issues.
Photo: Doug Hood.