Illinois McDonald's Franchisee Wins Prestigious Ronald Award
On December 2, Elgin's David Bear was recognized by the McDonald's Chicago Field Office for his outstanding contributions to strengthening McDonald's brand image with the 2018 Ronald Award. The Ronald Award recognizes McDonald's owner/operators who have made outstanding contributions to McDonald's, their local community and their guests. Bear was selected for the award out of nearly 300 McDonald's franchisees, representing more than 1,600 restaurants across Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana.
Bear is an Owner/Operator of 23 McDonald's restaurants, primarily in the Northwestern and Western suburbs of Chicago. As a second generation franchisee, Bear and his brother Marc grew up in the McDonald's system working alongside their parents, Jerry and Marcelle Bear. Next year marks Bear's 25th anniversary as an owner/operator.
"McDonald's has always been part of my family and my life. I am humbled and honored to be the recipient of this year's Ronald Award," said Bear. "Giving back to the communities we serve is extremely important to me, both within my restaurant and through community involvement. We plan to continue serving the Chicagoland community for many years to come."
Bear is a pillar in the communities he does business and is a strong advocate for promoting youth education. This year, the Bear Family Restaurants provided over 700 children with essential school supplies and backpacks and held 96 McTeacher Nights throughout his organization which raised more than $32,000 for schools in his local community. The Bear Family Restaurants sponsor summer reading programs each year. The summer of 2018, Bear donated a total of 17,250 free vanilla cone coupons to local libraries for kids who completed the reading program.
Bear regularly volunteers his time and insight as he sits on multiple committees in the communities his restaurants serve. Bear is a member of the board of directors for the McDonald's Owner/Operators of Chicago and Northwest Indiana Co-Op, where he serves as the marketing chair. He also holds national leadership positions to support his fellow franchisees. Over the last few years, Bear has served as Chair of Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, Chair of South Elgin Development Council, and Director and Treasurer for Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin. In February 2018, Elgin Chamber of Commerce named Bear Family Restaurants, Business of the Year. Bear received the coveted Illinois Family Business of the Year for Community Service award in 2013.