Maribel Rodriguez could be the poster child for the common refrain: There is no such thing as a small job.

The 34-year-old Kankakee woman took the phrase “Do you want fries with that order?” and turned it into a career and was honored this week by McDonald’s Corp. with one of its coveted Ray Kroc Awards.

The award is presented every two years to fewer than 1% of McDonald’s managers across more than 14,000 United States’ locations.

The general manager of the North Fifth Avenue restaurant location received the surprise award this week, surrounded by ownership, employees and family.

When franchisee owner John Carnagio, of Burr Ridge, who operates five Kankakee, Bradley and Bourbonnais locations since 2020 and 20 in total, began making the announcement, Rodriguez simply stood among her staff.

She had been told Carnagio was being honored.

The real reason for the gathering, Carnagio confessed, was not him, but rather Rodriguez.

Once it became clear it was not him, but rather her who was receiving this honor, she became overwhelmed and would have been more comfortable retreating into the confines of the kitchen and helping fill drive-thru orders.

However, putting on the headset and filling a McDonald’s sack with Egg McMuffins and hash browns along with a hot coffee was not going to happen.

Not on this day, at least.

The top 1% of general managers throughout the nation’s network of locations works at the busy North Fifth Avenue site.

Rodriguez simply lowered her head and shook it from side to side.

“You deserve it,” Carnagio said.

Love of the job

Carnagio explained she had taken over the Bourbonnais location about two years ago and transformed that restaurant.

He approached her about doing the same at Fifth Avenue. She never hesitated.

“She is doing the exact same thing here,” he told those gathered.

In addition to a plaque making this honor, McDonald’s also gifted her $2,500. Carnagio matched the bonus.

Asked if she wanted to say any words, she shook her head “no.” A short time later, she thanked everyone in the room, including her family.

After taking some photographs, the overwhelmed Rodriguez sat at a dining room table. Asked what the honor meant to her, she had trouble putting it into words.

“I’ve been in their shoes,” she said of her 52-member restaurant staff. “This all starts with a crew, from those cooking the French fries, taking the orders or clean the dining room.”

She said taking over an underperforming site is finding the right people as well as leading by example.

“It’s not overwhelming. If you love your job, it’s not overwhelming.”

She notes she work 45-50 hours weekly. She is assisted by six location managers.

A Kankakee resident for 10 years, she and her husband, Charles Johnson, a lifelong Kankakee County resident, are parents to a blended family of four children and reside in the Kankakee Riverview neighborhood.

Charles and two children attended the surprise party. He had only learned of the award the morning of the announcement.

“She has to do what she has to do,” he said of her management skills. “We’re very proud of her. I see the joy in her face and that makes me happy.”

It’s a ‘people business’

Rodriguez admits there are times she has to be the “bad guy” to transform a restaurant.

“I lead by example,” she said, while admitting sometimes things can get tough. “But if I hadn’t quit after 10 years, I’ll be here for a while.”

She noted the Fifth Avenue location was turned over top to bottom. New staff. New attitude. A fresh start.

The Ray Kroc Award was also in the back of her mind.

Charles said she mentioned her desire to gain the honor.

“She said she was going for it. When she puts her mind to something, she can do anything.”

Carnagio said service business is tough. Customers can be demanding.

“They want it done right. At the end of the day, McDonald’s is a people business. We just happen to sell hamburgers.”

The location had to manage the rest of the day without her. Carnagio told her to take the remainder of the day off.

The order of the day was not cheeseburgers and fries.

It was celebration.