Knoxville News Sentinel:
While many businesses buzzed with the words “cutbacks” and “layoffs” during the past two years, Knoxville-area McDonald’s
franchisees planned for expansion and upgrades.
“We’ve been doing a lot of renovations,” Tom Cochran, an early local franchisee, said. “We’re doing one right now in Oak Ridge.”
Cochran and his family, who were the first McDonald’s franchisees in the Knoxville area, own 26 stores and recently celebrated their first store’s 50th anniversary.
“I think we’re part of Americana,” Cochran said. “We’re the everyman’s place to eat. Everybody likes to eat McDonald’s hamburgers and when times aren’t good, they look to us for value.”
Photo: Saul Young.