Most people are familiar with McRibs, that guilty pleasure that sometimes graces the McDonald’s menu, but how many of you know what a McRig is?
Thanks to the quick thinking of one generous McDonald’s franchise owner, residents of storm-ravaged Lake Charles in Louisiana got to see what the company’s mega-version of Meals on Wheels was truly capable of.
This is what brand @McDonalds is about. Giving back to communities when they need us most. Great job @RikeshAPatel and family! #mcdemployee https://t.co/PsZ5GerXDD
— Mike Oldham (@_mikeoldham) September 1, 2020
Laura is the most powerful hurricane to hit Louisiana since 1856. With widespread flooding, downed power lines, and extensive damage to homes and businesses, residents were left without power, running water, and many other basic necessities.
When Rikesh Patel, who owns and operates 25 McDonald’s locations in the area, realized the storm’s full impact the day Laura made landfall, he knew he had to take action.
“Pictures don’t do it justice,” he said of the devastation in an interview with CNN. “It’s so much worse than what you’re seeing on social media.”
Figuring hot meals would be hard to come by for those impacted by Laura’s wrath, he made a call to corporate headquarters with a plea for help. The McRig, a ginormous self-sustaining portable kitchen was dispatched from a Kentucky location and arrived the following day.
Patel and his restaurant staff kept the extreme food truck running for six days, serving 10,000 free meals made up of McDonald’s cheeseburgers, fries, and bottled water.
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“(McDonald’s founder) Ray Kroc believed we must give back to [the] communities that we do business in,” Patel tweeted on the fourth day. “Thank you to our amazing crew and managers for making this belief come alive.”
In the last 4 days we have provided over 10,000 free @McDonalds meals to our community. Ray Kroc believed we must give back to our communities that we do business in. Thank you to our amazing crew and managers for making this belief come alive. #HurricaneLaura #lakecharlesstrong pic.twitter.com/xj3mX9aecV
— Rikesh Patel (@RikeshAPatel) September 3, 2020
Who knew that comfort food and a moveable feast made such a perfect combo? (And yes, you can get fries with that!)
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