What is the highest promotion or position that one can attain from working as an fast food cashier?

My husband has an acquaintence that began as a fry cook at McDonald’s when she was 16. Almost 30 years later she owns several franchises, is sitting pretty on a comfy retirement account, and has put four children through college.

Similar to what @Seek_Kolinahr said I have a cousin who started out at as a cook at one of these places and after several years went on to own the franchise he started at. It might be highly unlikely for most fast food employees to advance very far in that line of work, but it’s definitely doable.

When I was in college I worked part time as a clean-up boy at KFC. I worked hard and then I was offered a job as cook and then assistant manager. I graduated from college and moved on. But I read a story in the Wall St. Journal of a guy in L.A. who started as a cook for KFC about the same time as I started and moved up to store manager. Then he opened his own store. He now owns over 100KFC stores and is worth many $millions. Perhaps I should have stuck with KFC. HA!

I had a friend in high school who started out at McDonalds withe basics- kitchen, clean-up , cashier. He was eventually made assistant manager, then shift manager, then store manager. By the time I washout of college, he was District Manager overseeing about a dozen stores.

It requires the same thing as a lot of other ways people become successful – a lot of handwork and dedication, and a bit of smarts while learning everything you can about the business.

Not fast food, but one of my best friends had a job as the Best Buy Ticket Mascot as I worked my way through college. Without any college education he is now upper management and a millionaire thanks to Best Buy.

My youngest uncle is a store manager and I believe it was his first job. My old besty is now a service manager in a different chain.

Well at McDonalds there is a way to move up the chain but you have to work hard at least this is what it was about 30 or so years ago

Crew person
Trainer
Crew Chief
Asst Manager
Manager
Corporate Manager (they would send you to Hamburger University for this)
Store Manager
District Manager
They aslo have opportunites to work at the corporate offices.