Floyd Road McDonald's Puts Community First

Mention the name McDonald’s, and usually what comes to mind first are thoughts of a convenient place where to stop in or drive through for a quick, affordable meal.

At the McDonald’s in Mableton, however, owner Steve Taylor has created a community hot-spot where customers regularly stop in to catch up with other residents in the area. By providing a “community table” of sorts, locals can come in and take advantage of free wi-fi, catch up on the news made available on the restaurant’s wide screen TV or simply hang out and chat.

McDonald’s and the Taylor family have history. In 1961, Steve’s father took a temp job working at a McDonald’s in Illinois. He was such a good employee, the owners of the store hired him to run his own restaurant. In 1971, the Taylor family moved to Georgia and Steve's father opened the first McDonald’s in the area on Bankhead Highway.

“When I was old enough to start working, my father gave me a job at his restaurant where I started at the bottom and gradually worked my way up to shift manager then on to director of marketing,” Steve said.

Over time, Steve's father opened several more McDonald’s restaurants. Then on August 6, 2007, Steve held the grand opening of his own store making him the second generation of McDonald’s owner-operators in the Taylor family.

“When I opened this store four years ago, I wanted to make it a place where you can get to know your neighbors,” Steve said.

However, simply providing a place where customers, or his “guests” as Steve puts it, can feel at home isn’t the only connection Steve has made with this small town community.  

Steve is actively involved with the Cobb Street Ministries women’s and children’s shelter including providing free meals once a month to the women and children in the shelter program. He is a partner in education and member of the council of Floyd Middle School. He works with the nonprofit side of the Mable Barnes House complex and hosts an annual Thanksgiving dinner for CSM and others in need.

With so much community involvement, it would seem that Steve would not have much time to spend in his restaurant, but that’s exactly where he can be found most days of the week. Together with his wife Gabby, who handles most of the restaurant’s operational activities, the Taylors greet and spend a little time with their regulars.

Along with creating a unique restaurant interior with various areas for guests to gather or spend time alone working or reading, there is a large indoor play area along with two community bulletin boards where locals can post items of interest, job offerings or upcoming events.

It’s a regular occurrence to see groups of people gathered at the “community table” at varying times of the day throughout the week discussing current events or simply catching up with each other’s lives.

Steve has taken steps to further benefit and enhance activities in the area, by holding weekly food specials, helping to coordinate community events like the upcoming Mableton Community Day celebration and hosting a vintage car cruise-in night the fourth Friday of every month.

 “We’re working to make this restaurant a community fundraising venue to benefit the Mableton area,” he said.

And he and his wife aren't stopping those efforts any time soon.