Local McDonalds a family affair

McDonald's employs 1.6 million workers at more than 30,000 restaurants around the world, according to its official Web site.But for a Newcastle couple, it's still a family business.Mark and Rosanna Ruiz own and operate seven McDonald's restaurants, including two in Lincoln. They have six children and the two who have not worked in their restaurants are too young to do so."McDonald's seemed like a great place for us to raise our kids," Rosanna Ruiz, 47, said, adding that their 15-year-old daughter constantly asks, "When do I start?"But her children aren't the only employees she treats like family, Rosanna Ruiz said."We make sure to take care of our employees," she said, adding that they host company picnics and "family days," and give employees Christmas and Easter gifts.Maria Moreno, store manager at the G Street McDonald's in Lincoln, has never worked anywhere else."They always take care of their employees. If I need anything, they're always there for me," said Moreno, who has worked at the restaurant for seven years. The couple visits their stores daily and their children are just as serious about it, Rosanna Ruiz said. When their oldest daughter, Jamille Ruiz, turned 16 and started working at one of their restaurants, according to Rosanna Ruiz, she demanded that her parents never come into the store while she was working."She wanted to get the respect of the other employees instead of them knowing she was the owners' daughter," Rosanna Ruiz said. "It was three months before anyone knew who she was."Although Jamille Ruiz, now 25, has become a special-education teacher in Sacramento, three of the Ruiz children still work for the family business.Twenty-two-year-old Jordan Ruiz manages one of their Rocklin restaurants and said working for McDonald's just seemed like the right step once he was old enough."I grew up always working for my dad and working for my mom always felt natural," he said.Despite economic pains being experienced by other restaurants in the area, Jordan and Mark Ruiz said they haven't seen business slow down much."My sales are flat," Mark Ruiz, 52, said. "They're not up, not down."Other restaurants in Lincoln have been less fortunate. The Strings Café in Lincoln closed in January and Chili's and Applebee's closed within a week of each other in February.Mark Ruiz said he has many advantages over other businesses that may help him survive in the current economy."Our advantage is our heritage and what (McDonald's) has stood for over many, many years," Mark Ruiz said. He explained much of their strategy depends on low prices and a high number of customers.Economic Development Manager Steve Art said he's still optimistic about local business in Lincoln."I think those that have a quality product will continue to thrive," Art said.Plus, Rosanna Ruiz said her involvement with McDonald's has allowed her to help the community through charity work."If I wasn't doing what I'm doing, I wouldn't be involved in the community," she said.Rosanna Ruiz is a board member at the Sacramento chapter of the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit organization that provides temporary housing for families who travel to Sacramento for medical treatment.Executive Director Catherine Ithurburn said it's helpful to have McDonald's owners like Rosanna Ruiz involved with the charity, which is not funded or run by the McDonald's corporation."Rosanna is a good ambassador for the charity because she's so involved with many aspects of the community," Ithurburn said. "She's very involved with all of our projects."Mark and Rosanna Ruiz have helped lead fundraising efforts for the Ronald McDonald House /Hispanic American Commitment to Education Resources Scholarship, a program that awards scholarships to Hispanic high-school seniors across the country. The Sacramento chapter typically gives out four $1,000 scholarships, Ithurburn said.