McDonald's Pioneer: Gene Widdicombe

She ..."with the help of her children, has become a local McDonald's pioneer. She's the first woman in Orange County to operate a McDonald's. In 1974, the single, mother of three opened her second McDonald's in Garden Grove."

"Her restaurants were the first in Orange County to introduce a drive-through (1977) and a PlayPlace (1983) kids zone."

"Today, five of the more than 30,000 McDonald's operating in the world belong to Gene Widdicombe."

Nancy Luna, OC Register

Wow! Can you imagine meeting Ray Kroc? Having him fly out to meet YOU? Opening a McDonald's when no one had heard of McDonald's???

The McChronicles has visited Gene Widdicombe's first McDonald's, at 12542 Harbor Boulevard, in Orange County, California, but never knew the significance, until now.

Read the Gene Widdicombe story in the OC Register. We were riveted by the "as it happened" style - great stories!

The McChronicles: a blog about, not affiliated with, McDonald's.