[Tim]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...49390539119.txt

The Lubeznik family Monday greeted a crowd of friends, business associates and well-wishers, who stopped by to celebrateMcDonald's 50th birthday in Michigan Citywith cake and ice cream.

Opened on June 27, 1961 by Jack and Shirley Lubeznik, the single restaurant has become a McDonald's dynasty now in the hands of the second- and third-generation Lubeznik family owners-operators. Rod Lubeznik with his brother Glenn, Glenn's wife Kathy and his son Sam all continue in the business Jack and Shirley started in Michigan City.

Ronald McDonald naturally stopped by, as did Hamburglar and Grimace.

Among the other guests were Gil Pontius, of Al's Valueland and Larry Fegaras of Rodini's Lounge and Restaurant. "These are good people," Fegaras said about the Lubezniks. They enjoyed a bit of cake and ice cream as they chatted with Glenn and Sam Lubeznik.

*
MacKenzi McDonald, 6, and her sister, Maggie Mae McDonald, 4, were glad to get a hug from Hamburglar. "The members of this family, the McDonald family, are some of our best customers," Sam Lubeznik noted.

As for the cake, MacKenzi pronounced the vanilla the best. But Maggie Mae said chocolate definitely took the prize.
_________________________

Though the writer totally blew a chance to gain insight with some people who truly made Michigan City history in favor of childrens' reaction to cake - thanks, Deb - this is great for the Lubeznik family. I very well remember McDonald's on south Franklin back when it opened. I think a burger was 15 cents, fries were 12 cents, and a Coke was a dime. There was no dining area or drive-up window - just two long benches on either side of the white-tiled restaurant.

Hats off to the Lubezniks!

[indianamaniac]

You can't bring yourself to be complementary to someone without being a jerk to someone else, can you Tim? The Sunday N-D in fact had a Sunday feature on the Lubezniks and McDonalds that was written by your favorite target.

I swear your negativity knows no bounds. You could've just simply said, "This is great for the Lubeznik family. I very well remember McDonald's on south Franklin back when it opened. I think a burger was 15 cents, fries were 12 cents, and a Coke was a dime. There was no dining area or drive-up window - just two long benches on either side of the white-tiled restaurant. Hats off to the Lubezniks!" and been just fine.

Instead, you start off your post with a criticism that quite frankly is unfounded considering the Sunday feature. Spare me the "I live half way around the world and I didn't see it" excuse. I've provided the link below.

Judging your posts over the last few months, I actually thought you had started to ditch the negativity, but it's obvious you haven't. I'm not sure what enjoyment you get ragging on a writer in the twlight of her career, but it really gets old.



http://www.thenewsdispatch.com/articles/20...56213819251.txt

A Beautiful Day

Shirley Lubeznik (second from right) gathers with her son Glenn (from left), Glenn’s son and Shirley’s grandson, Sam, and her son, Rod. Photo by Deborah Sederberg


50 years ago, the Lubezniks opened the first McDonald’s in Michigan City

By Deborah Sederberg
Staff Writer

Published: Sunday, June 26, 2011 5:07 PM CDT

MICHIGAN CITY — The sun shined on opening day.

The Lubeznik brothers – Glenn and Rod – and their mother, Shirley Lubeznik, remember the sunshine on June 27, 1961, 50 years ago when Shirley and her late husband, Jack, opened Michigan City’s first McDonald’s restaurant at 3507 Franklin St.

“It was a beautiful day,” Shirley recalled as she sat in her home office, gathered around a table with sons Rod and Glenn and Glenn’s son – Shirley’s grandson – Sam Lubeznik, the third-generation McDonald’s owner-operator who now works in partnership with his father.

“My husband was a very smart man,” Shirley noted, and he expected his business to be a success.



“There was a McDonald’s a couple of miles from our home in Chicago,” she said. “My husband saw that children loved the sandwiches, and he figured they would grow into adults who liked them.

“So, he went to talk to the owner of that store,” Shirley said, “and he became convinced that we could make a go of it with McDonald’s.”

Jack Lubeznik, a longtime police officer in Chicago, took a leave of absence.

“That was a very wise move,” his wife said, because it left him an opportunity to come back to the department should that be necessary.

“Then, we moved to Michigan City to open McDonald’s,” said Rod, who then was 14.

“In those days, I was older than my brother,” he quipped.

In those days, Glenn was 9.

In Michigan City, “People really looked forward to McDonald’s. It was something they had never seen before,” Glenn said.

“They couldn’t wait,” Rod added.

Rod worked the front counter.

“I picked up papers and other trash,” Glenn recalled from the first day.

Today, Glenn said he is proud to say that many employees have been with the company for 20 years or more. Rod said some have gone on to be managers. Others have saved money for college while working at McDonald’s.

Sam has worked with employees to help them get jobs in the towns in which they attend college.

“In La Porte County, alone, we employ 400 people,” Glenn noted.

McDonald’s was a simple operation in its earliest days. The most expensive item on the menu was the 20-cent milkshake. The hamburger was 15 cents and the cheeseburger 19 cents. The drinks were Coke, an orange drink, root beer, coffee and milk, selling for 10 cents each.

“And you know, we had no computers,” said Shirley, who for years handled payroll and other bookkeeping-accounting chores from her home – alone.

“I think we had 200 employees before we hired a helper for Mom,” Rod said.

At one point, Shirley recalled, Jack had a gentle talk with her about her work and wifely duties.

“He told me he appreciated the work I was doing, but he told me he wanted me to be with him at night, to sit with him and talk with him and watch TV with him,” she said. “Really, that was a compliment.”

Before long, a whole crew of business office people were working in the basement of the Lubeznik home as the restaurants grew in size (the second was at Fifth Avenue and Van Buren Street in Gary) and number.

For more than half of its history, Kathy Lubeznik, Glenn’s wife, has been part of the Lubeznik McDonald’s operation.

“I feel so privileged to have been part of this,” Kathy said. “And I feel privileged to be part of this wonderful family. But of course, I worked in the business before Glenn and I were married.”

She remembers Jack Lubeznik as “intelligent and hard working and caring.

“He treated employees like family.”

Glenn Lubeznik said as he grew up in the business, he grew to love the business.

“I still love everything about it,” he said, “and I really love to work.”

As the business grew – today, the family has McDonald’s restaurants not only in Michigan City, but in La Porte and Westville – Lubeznik family members became significant contributors to community causes and events, including The Salvation Army and Dunebrook Prevent Child Abuse and the arts.

“My mother and father were very active with the John G. Blank Center for the Arts on Spring Street,” Rod said. In 2002, Shirley donated the company’s former office building at 101 W. Second St. to be used as a new and larger arts center known as the Jack and Shirley Lubeznik Center for the Arts.

Glenn’s foundation, Kids and Clays, raises money for Ronald McDonald House charities.

“I know people who have used the Ronald McDonald houses, and I know it means a lot to them,” Kathy said.

Glenn and Rod say they learned about contributing to the community from their parents. Sam Lubeznik now represents the third generation of the Lubeznik family to work in the business.

Sam, who now works on Kids and Clays project, also works with The Salvation Army and Kathy on an annual fund raiser. He says he learned about giving from his family as well.

The tradition, the Lubezniks say, dates back to the late Ray Kroc, who built the franchise into the world’s most successful fast-food enterprise.

“This whole business is all about family,” Glenn said.

MORE ABOUT THE ANNIVERSARY

The Lubeznik family has invited the community to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the McDonald’s restaurant business from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the first local McDonald’s restaurant, 3507 Franklin St. Free cake and ice cream will be served.

To continue the celebration, Glenn Lubeznik said, ice cream cones will be sold for 50 cents for the rest of the summer.

[Tim]

Instead, you start off your post with a criticism

Awwww. Poor baby.

This is the article that appears on the front page of the News Dispatch online edition. That is what I based my comment on.

Beyond that, you claim I'm negative for taking a shot at something someone wrote on an internet website yet you take a shot at something I wrote on an internet website and you're not?

Oops.

My comment about the article was part of one sentence in a post about something great in Our Fair City. If you have a problem with something another poster posts I suggest you take it to the moderators of this board - and let the rest of us get back to using this thread in its original intent: to celebrate the Lubeznik family's success.

[Grammy515]

Awwww. Poor baby.

This is the article that appears on the front page of the News Dispatch online edition. That is what I based my comment on.

Beyond that, you claim I'm negative for taking a shot at something someone wrote on an internet website yet you take a shot at something I wrote on an internet website and you're not?

Oops.

My comment about the article was part of one sentence in a post about something great in Our Fair City. If you have a problem with something another poster posts I suggest you take it to the moderators of this board - and let the rest of us get back to using this thread in its original intent: to celebrate the Lubeznik family's success.

wow ya'll tripping......

[Tim]

And now that the negativity is over -

This is one of those Michigan City success stories that should serve as inspiration to others. Maybe the Lubezniks should take over the Warren Bldg!

Congratulations!

[Ang]

And now that the negativity is over -

This is one of those Michigan City success stories that should serve as inspiration to others. Maybe the Lubezniks should take over the Warren Bldg!

Congratulations!

Either them or Pontius...