Caller of the Night: The first McDonalds in NZ

Do you remember when the first McDonald's opened in NZ?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
You lived it, We remember it in my day with
Roman Travers news Talks ed B.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
It was on the day nineteen seventy six that our
very first McDonald's opened. Were you there, Peter.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah, I was, mate. I worked for a company in
Auckland called Nursus Stainless and I was at my twenties
back then, and the foreman said, I'm going over to
the States, boys. And anyway, he went over to the
state said he came back after about a week and
a half and he said, we're going to get We're
going to get pretty busy, because you are right. That

(00:51):
was the government was that if we could build something
in New Zealand, we were to bricket in New Zealand.
That was how it worked back the United You might
know the ins and outs of it, but yes, and
when he comes back, he said, right, our boys, you know,
I get around where we're going to be, you know,
ramping up of it. We did a lot of bone marees,

(01:12):
kitchen tops and canopies. We were a kitchen shop, you know,
in the same of steel game and we laughed at them.
I remember we all laughed stupid Yanks. That was back then.
I always have that in my head because we just
all laughed. Well, anyway, we got on with it and

(01:32):
what we what we had to import was the hot
fry tops, the chip fry, the friars themselves. So we
did the Center Islands. We did the chip chip fry stations,
ice cream stations, bun bun warmers. Then you had another

(01:53):
front front canter there another counter behind that.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Hang on, go back a step. I love that you
mentioned bun warmer. Is that be handy in the South
Island when you're cold, you come and what you just
stick your bum against a bun warmer? Is that what that's.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
B u in? And what that was was where when
the burgers, when the burgers were made and they wrapped them,
they just put them in the bun warmer. You know
it was Yeah, there was those bits of pieces they
had to be anyway, it looks. Another thing is that
because we were building them in yew Zum, Okay, they

(02:31):
had to send the honchow over from America because you
to make sure that what we were building was up
to the standards. And I never forget this. By walking in,
he goes, how big a workshop you got here? You guys,
we pulled the leader. We were doing three bund warmers,
three fry stations. What about all the skin? And I said, well,

(02:56):
we working with the frigi guys, and we're working with
the fire suppression guys, because all of SUDF has to
have fire suppression running through it so that if there's
a fire. They pulled a lever and then the and
just comes out and sprays the whole thing. Then you know, gotcha,
so that there's a yeah, And anyway, I still you

(03:17):
know this guy saying, he said, oh, I can't wait
to get back to the stats and tell the guys
about this. Well, yeah, mercers went, can I ride in
the laser cutters? And they were doing something like about
seventy six stores. I'd come over to Australia, but yeah,

(03:37):
they were doing about seventy six stores a year. And
then then they just cut the throat on it and
they started making them the Mexico.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Oh, it's a very interesting process. Peter. I'm glad you
called him from Queensland. I love it. Maybe when I
met you there was peace.

Speaker 3 (04:03):
I d enough to get you where the fine coude call.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
Sir, there was something good. You do something to me
that I can't next me.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
We co surrender to you know.

Speaker 1 (04:29):
For more from News Talks it B Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio