At a recent luncheon and “Fryside Chat” celebrating the newest McDonald’s 1 in 8 ambassador, Chef John Liu, items from his restaurant Chifa LA were paired with the newest sauces from the Golden Arches as Liu engaged in a conversation with author and cultural commentator Jeff Yang sharing stories of family, food, and the immigrant experience. The gathering was hosted at Chef Liu’s restaurant and was more than a celebration of culinary achievement, it was a testament to the power of community, resilience, and cultural fusion.
The event opened with a McDonald’s representative highlighting a remarkable statistic: “There are one in eight Americans who have been a part of the restaurant experience as crew members, managers, et cetera, within our McDonald’s restaurants.”
The 1 in 8 Program aims to recognize the millions whose first jobs, formative experiences, and work ethic were shaped under the Golden Arches.
Chef John Liu’s story is emblematic of the immigrant journey and the lessons learned in the food industry. Reflecting on his early days, Liu shared, “I started in McDonald’s around 1984, so I’m going to date myself. I was 17 my last year of high school, and I grew up in Malibu. So I worked at the McDonald’s in Malibu, which I had the privilege of visiting again yesterday.”
His motivation for joining McDonald’s was both practical and passionate: “I love eating McDonald’s right? So I said, if I’m gonna work somewhere, I might as well work at a place where I love the product. Maybe I’ll even get free burgers. And two, it’s a recognizable global brand. I want to get a peek behind the curtain and if I work there, I’ll get to see how this works.”
Following the Fryside Chat, Dorkaholics had a few minutes with Chef John Liu for an interview. He was candid about his interests outside of the kitchen. “In addition to food, I really love film, so I was kind of a nerd in terms of being a big cinephile. And so I would just kind of be in my room, just reading about movies.”
When asked his top 3 favorite films, he mentioned The Godfather as a fantastic film about the American Dream, as well as It’s a Wonderful Life and La La Land.
Stay tuned for continued coverage on Dorkaholics about the 1 in 8 Program as well as other McDonald’s news!
