Inglewood Business Magazine Jan 2017

IBM
Entrepreneur
McDonalds Franchisee Knows About Hard Work
In 1971, Ti Chang of ATKA Enterprises started his relationship with McDonalds as an employee and
shows no signs of slowing down
BUSINESSPROFILE
ATKA ENTERPRISES
Location: Gardena, California
Owner: Ti Chang
Founded: 1998
Industry: McDonalds Restaurant Franchisee
Stores: 6
Website: http://www.atkaent.com
Contact: (888) 813-1828
BRIEF HISTORY
Ti Chang started as a crew person in 1971
at a corporate McDonald’s restaurant in
Hollywood. He was promoted to Swing
Manager in 1972. After graduating
from Cal State LA, Ti worked as a Store
manager from 1976 to 1982, and then as
Area Supervisor in the Hollywood Area.
From 1985 to 1989 Ti went through the
positions of Field Consultant, Operations
Manager and Field Service Manager in
the LA Region working his way up the
ladder and through the McDonald’s ranks.
He then went to work for McDonald’s
Asia Pacific in 1989 as a Staff Director
and spent 3 years in South Korea, Hong
Kong, Taiwan and China, and even helped
open the first ever McDonald’s restaurant
in China. Following his international
stint across the Pacific, he went back to
the LA Region as a corporate operator
in the South Bay Area, before finally, in
1998, Ti Bought three stores in Gardena
and became a McDonald’s Owner-
Operator. Since becoming a franchisee,
Ti has purchased six other McDonald’s
restaurants and is now an Owner-Operator
in Gardena, Torrance, Los Angeles, Bell
Gardens, and Cudahy.
WHAT DOES THE AMERICAN DREAM
MEAN TO YOU?
It means to be able to start with nothing
and owning a business. It was a process
that provides learning and advancement,
payoff for hard work, there were
milestones to celebrate and results to
cherish. I have had the satisfaction of
achieving financial results, be able to help
my employees achieve their goals, be able
to help some community organizations
accomplish what they would like to
accomplish. In the process I have also built
a home, married a wonderful wife and we
have two great children.
WHAT OBSTACLES, ADVERSITIES AND/OR
CHALLENGES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME IN
ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM?
LANGUAGE - As a foreign student I had
to learn English. I was fortunate enough to
be able to pay for my college tuition with
my job at McDonald’s. In addition to the
classes I was taking at Cal State LA, just
being around my coworkers and customers
provided ample time to practice speaking
English.
FINANCIAL - To start a business there are
capital requirements. I build my net worth
through a combination of McDonald’s
Profit Sharing Plan and stock options, so
when the opportunity was there I was able
to come up with the down payment to
purchase my own restaurants and the bank
was willing to loan me the balance.
JOB SKILLS - As an employee and as an
independent businessperson there were
many new things to learn, I had plenty of
mentors in my life to help me through both
on the company side and on the franchisee
side of the business.
IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU A MENTOR TO YOUR
EMPLOYEES AND HELPING THE COMMUNITY?
Most of my employees were promoted
from within, I have been in business for
18 years and I have 3 supervisors and 9
restaurant managers that started as crew
people with me. I have over 20 employees
who started with me in 1998 that are still
here. My Director of Operations was
approved to be a McDonald’s franchisee
and he recently bought several of his
own restaurants in Phoenix, Arizona.
We are involved with the schools in
our community, we raise money for the
schools through McTeacher’s Nights,
where the teachers work in the restaurants
for one night and serve the students
and parents. We donate a portion of the
proceeds to the schools. We also work
with the YMCA and Police Departments
to do community outreach. We give to
local charities, and we support the Ronald
McDonald Houses in our neighborhood.
14 Inglewood Business Magazine January - March 2017