An Australian retiree has decided to come out of retirement by getting a job at a local McDonald’s restaurant. The former disability sector worker, 72-year-old Daryl Holmes, has become a local legend after taking on the job at McDonald’s, where he offers up life advice to the younger staff. Holmes decided to ditch retirement because it was too boring and he had too much time on his hands, so he applied for a job at the McDonald’s in Newcastle, which is north of Sydney.
The former retiree spends his days greeting customers and assisting them with the self-serve kiosks. He also goes above and beyond what is expected of him by delivering food to the customers at the tables and ensuring that they have their needs met while dining at the Australian McDonald’s location.
“I’ve been playing golf all my life, and for me, I’ve always loved to work,” Holmes told 2 G.B.’s Chris O’Keefe. “My wife was still working and had several more years to work, so I wasn’t going to sit back. I was going to go out and find something that I could actually apply myself to and enjoy it at the same time.”
For the last six years, Holmes has been employed at his local McDonald’s location. He is one of the fast-food chain’s oldest employees in the country of Australia. Even though he has undergone two knee operations, he continues to work for the fast-food giant.
Part of the job that Holmes likes best is being a wise, older role model for the younger employees. He said that he acts as their grandfather and often gives out advice to help the younger employees navigate the challenges of work life.
“I just talk about the importance of enjoying what you do, learning from it, and making sure they’ve got someone when times are tough to talk to,” he explained. “I’m just like their grandfather.”
The radio host asked the old McDonald’s employee if the other workers had given him advice.
“Not what I repeat on the radio,” Holmes joked. “I work with some amazing young people. The kids we have are unbelievable; it’s a real privilege to work with them. The one thing I keep saying to them is, ‘I can’t do my job successfully if you’re not doing yours successfully. It’s about building teamwork. If something’s not right, nobody’s going to get into trouble; we’ve just got to fix it so the customer is the prime focus of what we do.”
Holmes enjoys the McDonald’s Monopoly promotion. When the time of the year comes around, he dresses up to look like the board game’s mascot, Rich Uncle Pennybags. Customers and staff love seeing the elderly gentleman dressed up for the promotion because he dons a mustache and wears a top hat.
Holmes sees himself working at McDonald’s until he is in his eighties. He also encourages other old Australians to get out of retirement and get a job.
“There’s a lot of work out there,” he said. “Employers want to know what you can do, not what you can’t. If you can say to people, “I can do this,’ you have a very good chance of selling yourself.”