With her workplace listed as McDonald’s, Nicole DiMichele might not be a person readers expect to see on a list like 20 in Their 20s.
“Working in McDonald’s, sometimes it’s challenging because people have misconceptions of this brand,” DiMichele said. “I consider myself a brand ambassador.”
Because her father was a franchisee for the company, DiMichele grew up working at the drive-through window. At 25, she became an approved franchisee, after being named Outstanding Restaurant Manager in 2010 and working in every aspect of the company.
“I think that by having a father who is a franchisee, I think they were harder on me,” DiMichele said about working her way up the ladder. “They made me earn my stripes. They saw the passion for this business, but they didn’t give me any slack.”
Her restaurant is the training location for all 88 McDonald’s restaurants in central Arkansas.
DiMichele is a member of the Sherwood Chamber of Commerce and an athletic sponsor for Sylvan Hills High School and serves on the Board of Directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas in Little Rock.
Eventually, she would like to take over the five restaurants that her father owns and operates.
