1. Define the following as used in the article:
-franchisee/franchise
-royalties
-initiative

2. a) When did McDonald’s franchise owner Jim Delligatti come up with the idea for the Big Mac?
b) How did McDonald’s corporate headquarters initially respond to Mr. Delligatti’s idea?

3. Why did Mr. Delligatti want to use a triple bun?

4. What did Delligatti say about his idea for the double burger Big Mac?

5. How does franchise expert Ann Dugan explain her view of Jim Delligatti? Be specific.

6. How many Big Macs has McDonald’s sold worldwide?

7. Mr. Delligatti received no royalties for his idea for the Big Mac. (But he did profit through the sales of Big Macs in the 21 McDonald’s restaurants he and his family own.) He doesn’t appear to have viewed a lack of royalties as unfair, but instead appears to have always been an optimistic and generous man who enjoyed owning McDonald’s restaurants.

In 1979, ten years after the national launch of the Big Mac, Mr. Delligatti co-founded Pittsburgh's Ronald McDonald House, then the seventh such facility in the country, where families can stay when children travel to Pittsburgh for life-saving medical care. He was involved in several other charities as well.

Mr. Delligatti most likely would have liked to receive some type of compensation or royalties for his creation. However, he did not let it stop him from growing his franchises and even opening a Ronald McDonald House to help others.

How does Mr. Delligatti’s story inspire you?