“We ended up meeting Crispin Lipscomb and Brad Martin, and they joined us for dinner,” McKinley says. Great memories are the point, somewhat at least, of the Olympic Champion Crew program.

“It’s all about recognizing the best of the best,” Floersch says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our employees.”

Preparing the Crew

But China isn’t Italy. Even though it abounds with Western influences and is, in fact, a hotbed for fast-food expansion, it’s still rooted in communism. The Associated Press recently reported the government is conducting drills for citizens to ensure they are “civilized” and appropriate when cheering at Olympic events. For those used to working in democratic countries, China could be a bit of a culture shock.

“There will be a much stronger likely government presence involved,” Floersch says. “We actually send a number of HR people to work with the Olympic Champion Crew. Before they even start working in the restaurant, we’re going to have meetings with them to talk about what it’s like to be operating in this particular store and some of the things they need to be aware of as they move around Beijing, whether it’s at the Olympic Village or outside at one of the tours.”

Corporate human resources representatives will also stay at the same hotel as employees and will be on all company-sponsored tours. Though still in the early stages of planning, Floersch says packets of information are likely to be sent out as well.

In past years, crew members have been encouraged to blog or write a journal of events accessible via the Internet. This year, for the first time, one or more of the McDonald’s locations in Beijing will have video cameras as well.

“People will be able to interact with them live in terms of what it’s like to be over in Beijing,” says Floersch, noting the cameras required approval from the International Olympic Committee.

To prepare crew members for the fast pace of service required at the Olympic Games, McDonald’s puts on an event that combines the characteristics of a pep rally and team-building exercises.

“When we’re there, one of the things we’ll reinstitute is this Big Mac contest,” Floersch says. For each wave of employees entering the country, four teams will be established and each team is timed on its assembly of Big Macs. Prizes and medals are given to the winners. “It’s going to be fantastic just in terms of the camaraderie that it will generate, and we’ll have the media there and all that to make sure there’s recognition.”