McDonald's Place, 11 King Albert Park
I'm pretty sure by now everyone would have known that this piece of land has already been sold to Oxley Holdings for $150 million back in 2012. Thus, all tenants are required to move out by 21 Mar 14, including the iconic McDonald's King Albert Park.
Many patrons has since been going back to McDonald's King Albert Park to reminisce their school days where they spent most of their time doing school projects & home works, or even puppy love days! Photos of McDonald's King Albert Park has been surfacing over many social media like Twitter, Facebook & Instagram
For patrons, it might be just another McDnoald's but for some (or rather, many) of use, it's more that just an ordinary McDonald's, especially McDonald's King Albert Park. It's more of a family. Thus, last Friday (07 Mar 14), I went back too! In fact, it was a big group of us that went back to McDonald's King Albert Park!
Here's a "Family Photo" of everyone (including Ronald McDonald & the no.1 man behind McDonald's Singapore, Mr Robert Kwan) that went back to McDonald's King Albert Park (KAP)
Before I post more photos from last Friday's gathering, let me post some old-skool photos taking during my days in McDonald's KAP.
Just in case you didn't know, I started working at McDonald's Tampines in 1990 as a crew & promoted to crew leader in 1991. Then I was transferred to McDonald's KAP as a crew leader in Apr 1991 to assist in training the newly recruited crews in 3 different training grounds - Farrer Road (mainly on closing); Clementi (mainly on counter) & Jurong Super Bowl (Mainly on Opening & Drive-tru). I am based at Farrer Road cos I work mainly on mid-shift.
At that point of time, McDonald's KAP is the "hot-topic" in town as McDonald's HQ will be just right above of McDonald's restaurant!
As we're the hot topic in town, we have to be very detail & strict in terms of training. Apart from the devil's training, we also spent days cleaning up the store before she officially opens her door to the public.
All the hard work are finally paid off when McDonald's KAP finally opens her door to public on 04 Jun 1991
After store officially opens, all the crew leaders were given this Appreciation Note from the management team cos some of them will be going back to their original store. Me, I choose to stay at McDonald's KAP. The Hamburglar thingy is not just another ordinary piece of paper. It's a paper hat used way before I joined McDonald's! Cute right?
Then we were also given the store collar pin. During those days, all stores will have a budget to design & produce their own store pin. The black-gold pin is designed by our very first Store Manager. Those holding this pin are True-Blue Pioneers of the store!
Besides working hard, we play hard too! This is taken when we had our first Crew Leaders Outing to Triremis (now know as Havi Logistics), the logistics provider for McDonald's back then.
We also had an intern from Australia for a few months
This is taken when we went to send her off at the Airport
Christmas party held over 2 separate years. One is when I'm still a crew leader, another is when I'm already promoted to Floor manager.
BTW, can you guess what's on the wall behind Santa? It's a ... ... mini lift! Yes, a lift in McDonald's! But it's not for human. it's to send up food from kitchen at level 1 to the birthday party room at level 2. How cool right?
Next to the birthday party room is the indoor play place with ball pit. Thinking of it now, I reckon McDonald's KAP might be the first in Singapore to have a indoor play place with ball pit, back in the early 90s! Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the play place.
McDonald's KAP is also the store that has a huge storeroom where we held most in-house meetings & training in there. Believe it or not, we also have a carom board & dart board for us to release stress.. The store room is so huge you probably can fit in 2 table tennis table!
Crew outings where everyone in the store will be out for a day with managers/crews from other stores will be attached to run the operations of the store
My name tags throughout my 11.5 years of service. Back then, McDonald's KAP is the only store that uses black-gold name tags for all the managers.
Those were the days where we run like blue housefly behind the counter serving tons of people; behind the kitchen making tons of burgers; at the french fries station cooking World Famous Fries; scrubbing the floor of the drive-tru lane; cleaning the full-length glass doors; washing the balls in the ball pit; carrying the long leader from backdoor to the lobby & pushing the toy train that is stuck on the train track at lobby..
Did I mentioned something like a Train? YES! there used to be a train running on the track at the entire lobby ceiling (like what Au Chocolat is having now)! And one fine day, someone stole the train head which cost like $20k! The train track used to run the entire lobby but after awhile, the track was being shorten & eventually removed. So... ... if you happen to see someone having a McDonald's Train head at home, that fellow must have stolen the train from McDonald's!
I've learnt lots (of work & personal) during my 2 years (I left to set-up McDonald's Singapore Polytechnic in Jun 1993) stay in McDonald's KAP. Gone thru lots of crap, as well as fun times. The entire team has great bonding & it really feels like a big family. McDonald's KAP is the one & only store which I stayed behind & even worked for free after work!
Gone were the happy days!
We managed to have a mini gathering in Dec 2013 after not meeting up for the past 20 years & at the same time, planed for ths McDonald's KAP Finale event before she officially closes her doors to public on 16 Mar 14 @ 2359 hours.
so I'm (or rather, we) are back!
The Fry Guys & Gals, Birdie & Grimace used to sit here together with Hamburglar & Ronald
Drive-tru lane. The counter there used to be only a board with speaker
Since this will be last time we'll be seeing McDonald's KAP, Albert Chan the first store manager also invited people from HQ as well as those old-timers who have already left the system to join us in sending McDonald's KAP off! I will let the pictures take over from here.
Mr Robert Kwan (in yellow), the no.1 man behind McDonald's Singapore & Mr Albert Chan (in green), the first Store Manager of McDonald's KAP
Special appearance - Ronald McDonald!
Pioneers of McDonald's KAP
Tall guy at the back - the face behind 2nd generation Ronald McDonald
A super group photo of the McDonald's Family, sending off McDonald's King Albert Park
The pioneers with Ronald McDonald & Mr Robert Kwan
2nd Store Manager of McDonald's KAP - Ms Boon Geok Poh
McDonald's Favorite Quote:
None of us is as good as all of us - Ray Kroc
Signature of Ronald McDonald & the pioneers of McDonald's KAP
The current managers gladly offered us Store Tour to see what are the stuffs left untouched for the past 20 years
Didn't take many pictures in the store but one thing that I must show is this piece of wall in the store room. Managers & crews working in McDonald's KAP now, have you ever wondered why are there so many holes on this piece of wall? If you have read this post right from the beginning, I'm sure you would have know by now what causes the holes on this piece of wall. Yes! It's the darts. We used to hang a dart board here! haha
This blue thingy here is our favorite "toy" back then. This helps to pump tons of balloons for lobby giveaway every weekend!
Hand-dryer in the crew room is 23 years old now! Oh yes, McDonald's KAP is the only store that has a toilet in the crew room!
It was a great catching-up with lots of people I've not met for some 20 years.
Going home with a badge Ronald McDonald gave me!
Then I went back again on Saturday for supper with 3 other pioneer crews of McDonald's KAP
"2 all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onion on a sesame seed bun"
Big Mac. Used to have a jingle & if you can say it in 4 secs flat, u get a free coke (or cone, can't remember). Can you do it then? I can .. till now! I wonder if any of the current managers & crews knows about this Big Mac jingle
McDonald's King Albert Park will soon becomes history as she serves the last packet of World Famous Fries & Big Mac on 16 Mar 14, 2359 hours after serving the public for 23 years.
Pioneers of McDonald's King Albert Park, it's been great working with each & everyone of you.
Thank You, McDonald's King Albert Park for the wonderful memories.
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