Happy Thanksgiving! Welcome to The Cutting Onions Podcast, Episode 21. In this special episode I sit down with the person responsible for me giving me my first opportunity in the restaurant business, Art Phillips.


Art is a legend in the McDonald’s system. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention but we discuss a few of them here, including the order by number system. Yep, that was an idea Art shared in a meeting over three decades ago ended up getting pitched to McDonald’s Corporation upper management and the rest is history.

In this podcast interview we had a wide-ranging conversation about his career, his love for the McDonald's brand, saving for that first restaurant, identifying talent, and investing ahead of the business to build a strong culture. We discussed his incredible impact on not only the Kansas City Region but the entire McDonald's system.


From his first job at Steak 'N Shake as a carhop, to the start of his nearly 50-year career with McDonald's on March 1, 1966 making $1.00 per hour, to buying his first store in 1978, to becoming an iconic operator for almost 40 years.

Enjoy this conversation with Art Phillips.