An Inverness businessman is establishing a McDonald’s empire with the purchase of another location.
Iain Fyfe, 34, is planting his flag in Elgin, taking over the popular McDonald’s location in town.
Back in 2022, he became the youngest McDonald’s franchise owner in Scotland when he bought the chain’s location in Nairn.
He will continue to run that location as he takes the keys to the Elgin location.
The ownership change went into effect on December 4.
Speaking with The Northern Scot, Mr Fyfe said the Elgin location has an “incredibly loyal customer base.”
Loyal customers the attraction for Elgin boss
He added the customers make it “one of the biggest stores in Scotland.”
He said: “I’ve already been introduced to some of the regular customers, who are there almost every day for their coffee in the morning.”
“It is an incredibly loyal customer base that we’ve got in Elgin and I think it has really taken off in the past five years.”
New Elgin McDonald’s boss long dreamed of being a business owner
The second location is another step in Iain Fyfe’s long journey into owning his own business.
Speaking with the Press & Journal after buying the Nairn location, Mr Fyfe called the purchase a “long-term dream.”
He said: “It had been a long-term dream to run my own business and from a very young age I’d been thinking of some ideas.”
Mr Fyfe started the application process in 2019. But his progress was delayed due to Covid-19.
He added: “Over time I started looking into franchising as a different option and there was a clear market leader in McDonald’s.”
He became the new owner of the Balmakeith Retail Park business on June 6, 2022.
From Dubai to Nairn and Elgin
While he was born in Inverness, Iain Fyfe has spent much of his career much further afield.
He spent nine years in Dubai, working as the head of operations for a facilities management company.
He said: “It is a big change going from the corporate world into the restaurant business but I did a nine-month training programme to acclimatise me to the change of business.
“I took a leap of faith by leaving my job, as I didn’t know which area I would be offered a restaurant in.
“When I was told it would be Nairn I was delighted, not only because it means my family can stay in our hometown, but also because Nairn is special to us.”
Settling down close to home with family
Mr Fyfe, married to Sarah, had nine months of intensive training with McDonald’s. During that time he learned everything from how to make the brand’s signature burgers to how to operate management systems.
In a previous interview with the Press & Journal, Ms Fyfe said: “I’m so happy for him to see the dream that he’s had for such a long time come to fruition.
“We didn’t know where we would be living, so to be so close to the family is amazing. We couldn’t have asked for a better location.”
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