Tony Higdon may not admit it, but he is Mr McDonald's in Liverpool.
Starting his career over three decades ago at the huge Lord Street store, last month Tony made his return to the restaurant - this time taking it over as a franchisee.
The Lord Street restaurant is his sixth Maccies in Liverpool, with others in the city centre and Speke.
Speaking exclusively to the ECHO , 56-year-old Tony revealed how much his stores make, his favourite McDonald's menu item, what he thinks of Burger King and, crucially, his take on that fateful day in July when customers broke out in tears over the sudden closure of the Lord Street branch.
From working at Lord Street Maccies to turning over £24 million
Dad-of-two Tony, who is from Halewood , has had some journey through the ranks at McDonald's, which started when there was just a single store on Merseyside.
Today, there are 30.
It all began in 1986, when he joined the Lord Street team as a crew member, before moving to the newly-opened Ranelagh Street a few years later - becoming one of its first shift managers.
After having worked in several stores across Merseyside, Tony's journey saw him take on the role of Operations Manager for the North West, and then Operations Consultant, which meant he was in charge of 10 stores across the city.
At that point, he began to dream about becoming a fully-fledged franchisee.
His dream became a reality three and a half years ago, when Tony took the drastic decision to re-mortgage his Wallasey home in order to find £130,000 to buy his first restaurant - at St Johns Shopping Centre.
Five further acquisitions later, and Liverpool FC fan Tony is now officially in charge of six stores - and around 700 members of staff.
He completed the acquisition of the Lord Street and Albert Dock restaurants in October, meaning his six restaurants' projected turnover for next year is a whopping £24m.
Tony said: "Coming back to the store I started in is quite an achievement - I'm very proud of that, and quite a few people who were working at the store are still knocking around from that time.
"On my first day being back at the store, the woman who hired me in 1986 was still working here on the floor - so that was quite a moment.
"It's not unusual for people to stay five, 10 or even 20 years at McDonald's.
"It can be challenging, but it's great fun - there's always something going on in Liverpool, whether it's football, major concerts at the arena or big city centre events."
Tony said staying with the firm for so long has been a "no brainer", adding: "We have been through 54 quarters of consecutive growth, which I think is a fantastic achievement.
"We have gone through recessions and difficult times, but it's still a fantastic offering for our customers, who are loving it - and long may that continue.
"I think I learnt quite quickly there were a lot of opportunities at McDonald's, if you were prepared to work hard and actually take them.
"I never dreamt I'd be a franchisee at the start of it, but I think when I got to consultant level I did start then thinking about it. I guess my last four years as operations manager was telling people that's what my ambition was, and working towards that goal, and luckily enough achieved it."
Tony's favourite Maccies dish
Beginning his answer diplomatically by saying he "likes it all", Tony, who undeniably knows the McDonald's menu better than most, revealed his favourites are two classics: The Big Mac and the Filet-O-Fish.
Having worked there for most of his life, is he sick of McDonald's, or still 'lovin' it'?
Tony said: "I'm not at all [sick of it].
"I still eat it. Every time I'm in, I have lunch in the restaurant, or breakfast. And it's quite a big menu, really.
"There's lots of variety, and we are constantly changing it as well, with the promotions we do. For instance, with the wraps, we change them on a regular basis."
So how does Tony answer accusations of McDonald's being too unhealthy, and contributing to the UK's obesity crisis?
He said: "They work hard on reformulating our products to meet the guidelines with sugar, salt and fat. We have a pretty health range with a lot of products. 90% of our core menu is under 500 calories.
"I guess there are things that are a bit indulgent as well, but there's a good choice there."
Tony's reaction to that day when Lord Street branch's closure left customers in tears
The chain caused quite a stir back in July when its flagship Lord Street store unexpectedly closed - prompting dramatic reaction from some customers.
Tony said he saw the coverage, and that it didn't come as a surprise to him that there was such interest in the matter.
But he added: "The thing that did surprise me was some of the [dramatic] reactions, because there are other restaurants within walking distance, so it wasn't the end of the world.
"There were people who got really, really upset that they couldn't go to McDonald's when there were other options. Maybe they just didn't know the city that well.
"Having four restaurants in the city centre itself means that if one does close for whatever reason, there's always an option to go somewhere else."
Has he ever been to Burger King?
Tony said despite his lifelong affiliation to Maccies, he has visited a Burger King before.
However the rival chain didn't do much to impress him and, as Tony admitted: "I'm not a fan.
"It might be the taste, but I prefer McDonald's."
On whether they are seen as rivals for diners in the city centre, he said: "I think there is enough business for everyone. We do have competition and we do have rivals, but it's also important that people have got a choice - and that there's enough business to go around."
Scousers 'the best around'
Employing 700 people across Liverpool and Knowsley, Tony had kind words to say about Scousers who work for him.
He said: "They're the best around.
"I've looked after and managed restaurants in all corners of the North West, and by far and away Scousers are the hardest workers, and most down to earth people you can meet."
Did Tony envisage staying at Maccies for so long?
Tony said after leaving school, his main goal was to become a brick layer.
He said: "When I first left school, I was mainly working on building sites. But my ambitions to become a brick layer were derailed when I realised how cold it was this time of year. It's not an easy job at all.
"I lost my job on a building site because they finished us all up for Christmas. My brother was working here, so he said why don't you come along. I had never considered working in a shop or retail environment before, but it's a lot more fun than working on a building site."
Tony said his brother worked for the company up until around a decade ago, but left to start his own furniture warehouse business.
He says: "He swears by the training he got in McDonald's. He's got a group of mates who own their own business. He always exceeds their sales and profit margins, and he puts it all down to McDonald's and the training he was given as a business manager."
