Sometimes the American dream is what you make it. For Nicole Enearu and her family, that dream has paid off. 

When the word “changemaker” comes to mind, one’s mind may go to the person who is out and about making things happen in the community. Enearu has been making it happen with one McDonald’s franchise at a time!

As previously reported by AfroTech, Enearu and her family have managed to successfully open 13 McDonald’s franchises, generating nearly $50 million in revenue and employing more than 700 people in the community. The impact that this has had on her family is one thing, but for the community — it’s a whole different story.

A Family Affair

When Patricia Williams opened her first McDonald’s franchise store in 1984, who would’ve thought that she and her two daughters, Nicole Enearu and Kerri Harper-Howie, would end up owning every McDonald’s in the city of Compton?

Despite seeing their mother garner success, the sisters weren’t too sure if owning a franchise would be the route for them. However, as fate would have it, it was already in the cards from the beginning.

“McDonald’s has a program where, whether you come from the outside or if you’re a child of a current operator, they want to make sure that you are able to run the operations of the restaurant. So, I started my first day on fries and worked my way through the whole program,” Enearu told AfroTech. “I then went to Hamburger University, which is what our general managers go through, and from there was the evaluation period to make sure that I understood the basics of running a restaurant, the business acumen, the financial responsibilities, and beyond.”

Making A Difference

While working at McDonald’s has been a job that has been frowned upon by some, Enearu explains that much like life, it’s all about making the most out of it.

“People kind of sometimes give working at McDonald’s a bad rep,” Enearu said. “But I tell people all of the time that it’s not about the job, it’s about you.”

She further explains how she’s watched people work from the bottom to the top. 

“We promoted a Director of Operations who will be overseeing all operations of all 18 restaurants. That person started with us as a maintenance person,” she shared with AfroTech back in 2021. “Whatever you want to get out it, whatever energy you put into it and work you put into it, you can get everything out of it.”

She continued: “So, we appreciate the opportunity to hire within the community. We appreciate the opportunity to support local churches and schools and to just be a part of everything that’s going on in the communities that we serve.”

AFROTECH™ Future 50

We’re honored to call Nicole Enerau, a changemaker who is one of the honorees of the AFROTECH™ Future 50 list making a difference in the world with one McDonald’s at a time!