When Tanya Hill-Holliday bought her first McDonald’s restaurant in Rosemont, she did not anticipate that she would soon become the owner of the largest Black-owned McDonald’s franchise in the Philadelphia region, writes Ayana Jones for Philadelphia Tribune.

She first started working at McDonald’s as a part-time employee nearly four decades ago, when she was working her way through college. Today, she owns nine McDonald’s restaurants on the Main Line and in Philadelphia. The shift, however, was not planned.

“It certainly wasn’t my intention to pursue a career with McDonald’s,” said Hill-Holliday. “Quite frankly I just needed a part-time job and McDonald’s became that part-time job.”

Hill-Holliday continued working for McDonald’s for 26 years, deciding to pursue a management position after graduating cum laude from Morgan State University with a business administration degree.

She decided to jump to the corporate side in 2005, when she purchased the Rosemont restaurant located on Montgomery Avenue next to Villanova University. This made her the first African-American woman to own a Main Line McDonald’s.

Her business success has netted Hill-Holliday a number of accolades and awards over the years, including the prestigious Madam C.J. Walker award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Philadelphia Chapter.

Read more about Hill-Holliday’s McDonald’s success at Philadelphia Tribune by clicking here.

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