In the 1970s, McDonald’s was the place to be, especially for Paul Hendel, who started flipping burgers at 16 in Merrick, New York. Hendel fondly recalls, “Everybody wanted to work there.” Initially, he saw it as a temporary high school job, but in 1975, an offer to manage a new McDonald’s changed his plans. “Being trusted to open a new restaurant when you’re an 18-year-old kid is pretty exciting,” he remembers.

After college in 1980, Hendel faced a choice: Wall Street or McDonald’s? A talk with his dad made it clear. “My dad’s first question — I’ll never forget it — was, ‘Do you like what you do?'” he says. Embracing his passion, Hendel took on a supervisory role with better pay and perks.

In 1990, Hendel fulfilled his dream of owning a McDonald’s. Running his first in Brooklyn taught him valuable skills, saying, “I’ve worked with people who started as crew members and became millionaires.”

Now 66, with 31 McDonald’s under his belt, retirement isn’t in sight. He plans to gradually pass responsibilities to his children, Mark and Lauren, who became owner/operators. Hendel says, “I’d like to have the flexibility to wind down at work… But I don’t want to have the word ‘retired’ fully next to my name.”