When Travis Heriaud decided to spend $40,000 on the grand opening of a new McDonald’s here—sponsoring a book giveaway for local children and hosting a parade of zoo animals—his father, Lee, balked.
Lee Heriaud, a 59-year-old owner of 12 McDonald’s restaurants, warned that the event risked erasing cash flow for a full year. “You’ve gone overboard here,” he told his son.
Travis, 30, pressed ahead—and busted the budget for the grand-opening spending by adding even more new-store promotions. However, first-year revenue at the restaurant is now on track to beat McDonald’s projections by 50%. And other McDonald’s in the …