Until a certain moment, Ray Kroc could not imagine that he would one day become a world-famous entrepreneur. However, he managed to bring to life a business idea that made him one of the richest people in America. Retiring from business, Croc became the owner of a baseball team and lived comfortably until his death in 1984.
From the biography of Ray Kroc
The future famous entrepreneur was born on October 5, 1902 in the town of Oak Park, a suburb of the American city of Chicago. Ray's parents came from a Czech émigré community. Croc's father was born in Bohemia. In the 1920s, he made a fortune by speculating in land, but in 1929 he lost everything during the stock market crash.
Ray Kroc spent most of his life in his native Oak Park. When the imperialist war broke out, the young man lied about his age and, at the age of 15, became a driver of the Red Cross. However, the war soon ended, and the young soldier did not have time to taste all its "charms".
During the Great Depression, Croc worked in a variety of places. He sold paper cups, was a real estate agent in Florida. Ray had to play the piano in various musical groups. He could only dream of a brilliant future, he had no real chances to break out into people.
At the origins of the business empire
At the end of World War II, Kroc found work in a food service chain selling dairy mixers. In 1954, Ray met Maurice and Richard McDonald, who ran a chain of stores and bought business equipment from Croc. After reviewing the brothers' enterprise, Kroc came to the conclusion that this business could well be expanded.
The McDonald brothers' restaurant was clean and well equipped. The well-groomed and professional staff of the company complemented the picture. Kroc knew well that roadside eateries were sometimes suitable only for unassuming bikers and local teenagers. The concept of McDonald's was born in Kroc's head, in which he saw the ideal version of how a fast food restaurant should be arranged. In alliance with the MacDonald Kroc brothers, he opened such an establishment in Illinois.
Big business
It is believed that it was Ray Kroc who made a number of dramatic changes in the model of food franchising that existed before him. Innovations primarily concerned the nature of sales: Kroc offered business buyers a franchise of one store instead of selling large territorial brands. This was an unusual decision for the industry.
Kroc negotiated with the MacDonald brothers about uniformity in the service system and relatively high quality standards. This could be achieved while maintaining influence over all enterprises in the network.
And here is another innovation: Krok proposed to create places not in the center of the city, but on its outskirts. At the same time, the townspeople could eat at the end of the working day. In the restaurants of the chain, the strict rule was observed: the premises, equipment and accessories should sparkle with cleanliness, the staff should be neat and polite. Restaurants were not allowed to deviate from the standard menu.
The business model was so successful that other fast food outlets began to actively copy it in the 1960s. In the meantime, Kroc bought out the company from the brothers, although for this he had to seek finance on the side: the expanding business required investments in itself.
In 1974, Croc decided to retire. He turned to baseball, which he was fond of in his youth.
Ray Kroc's personal life
Ray Kroc has been married three times. Relations with the first two wives ended in divorce. Ray's third wife, Joan, did charity work. She actively promoted the movement against the proliferation of nuclear weapons, contributing to the cause of peace. Her husband's money helped her a lot in this.
In 1980, Croc was treated for alcoholism. Four years later, he died in a San Diego hospital. The world famous entrepreneur passed away on January 14, 1984.
