How it Started

The Dias family’s love for McDonald’s started with their father, Paul Dias. He and his wife Nelie were born in Portugal and later immigrated to the United States. They were eager to instill the work ethic they learned from their parents into their careers. Paul started as McDonald’s restaurant crew at 16 years old in the Sacramento area and through the help of his McDonald’s his franchisee and hard work, he became a supervisor. When an opportunity arose in Colorado to acquire his first McDonald’s, he and Nelie took a leap of faith and moved there with their two daughters, Megan and Lindsey. 

Building the Family Business

Paul's hard work paid off as he successfully built sales at his first restaurant, he then decided to sell it and pursue an opportunity in Arizona. He eventually expanded to five locations in Tucson, Arizona. Today, he is a proud McDonald's franchisee, owning 23 restaurants in Southern Arizona.

During this time, Megan and Lindsey began to forge their own paths; both became first-generation college graduates. Megan attended the University of San Francisco and a few years later, Lindsey enrolled at Texas Christian University.

At TCU, Lindsey worked at a local McDonald's and majored in business, with ambitions of joining the family business. When Megan graduated, she initially did not plan to enter the family business and started her career in marketing. However, she eventually returned to her roots at McDonald's, where she first learned the value of hard work. Today, Megan serves as a general manager, while Lindsey works as a shift manager, both at restaurants owned by their father, Paul.

Paul couldn’t be prouder to see his daughters following in his footsteps, but also stressed the importance of letting his daughters join the business on their own merit. While they each carve out their own paths, they share a common dream: to become McDonald’s franchisees.