food
OVER THE MOUNTAIN Journal
Thursday, April 7, 2016 • 33
In Business – and Lovin’ It Mountain Brook Mom Owns 13 McDonald’s Stores By Donna Cornelius Lots of moms and dads take the kids to McDonald’s for a fun and casual night out. Ashley Kaple’s family meals at the popular fast food chain are no different, except for one thing. When the Kaples go to McDonald’s, there’s a good chance she owns the store. The 34-year-old Mountain Brook resident owns 13 McDonald’s in places such as Trussville, Leeds, Moody, Pinson, Pell City,
From left: Nichole Stoffel, Natalie Pilato Andrews, Kathy Mezrano and Andy Hopper.
Catering Kudos: Kathy G and Company Wins Top Awards
Birmingham catering company Kathy G and Company won two top awards from the International Special Events Society. Kathy Mezrano and some of her team members were on hand for the Allie Awards ceremony, held March 6 at the Culinary Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Community News and The company won Allie Events awards for Best Event: Corporation/Association (under $100,000) and for Best OffPremise Catering. Both awards were for Kathy G’s events last summer for Gamma Phi Beta sorority, which celebrated the opening of its new sorority house on the University of Alabama campus. Mezrano used the theme of the event, “No Place Like Home,” to create food stations inspired by “The Wizard of Oz.”
Talladega, Oneonta and Rome, Georgia. She manages more than 1,000 employees. “I was born in Atlanta, and my parents moved to Oneonta when I was eight and built the first McDonald’s there,” Kaple said. “They also lived in Arab and Guntersville, where I went to high school. My parents, Charles and Billie Spann, live in Guntersville now.” Once she was old enough, Kaple pitched in at McDonald’s, she said. “I loved being involved in the business,” Kaple said. “I’d go with my dad to help other owners open new stores. We’re all one big McFamily.” Despite those experiences, Kaple wasn’t sure what career she wanted to pursue when she enrolled at Samford University. “I got two degrees, one in biology and one in business,” she said. “During my junior year, I decided I loved McDonald’s and business, so I called my dad and told him I wanted to go into the business with him.” Kaple said she learned “from the ground up.” “I went through the McDonald’s training program, which took about two years,” she said. “I was approved as an owner when I was 24.” Her first store was in Oneonta. “That was neat, because it was the first McDonald’s I’d known because my parents built it,” she said. Kaple has been married for eight years to Dr.
Journal photo by Lee Walls Jr.
‘I loved being involved in the business. I’d go with my dad to help other owners open new stores. We’re all one big McFamily.’
Ashley Kaple of Mountain Brook grew up as the daughter of a McDonald’s owner and now owns stores in Trussville, Leeds and other cities.
Trevor Kaple, a Birmingham endodontist. They have three daughters: five-year-old Reese, threeyear-old Pearce and Kennedy, who’s about 20 months old. Balancing family and work responsibilities can be a challenge, Kaple said. “I try to get up and exercise, and then I pray a lot and drink a pot of coffee to start the day,” she said. “I evaluate sales and deal with any customer complaints or issues. I have a great team of directors, supervisors and managers. We touch base every day so I can make sure they have what they need. Some days, I might spend all day at one store, or I might visit several.” Kaple said she’s proud of the food McDonald’s serves.
“Our food comes from really great suppliers,” she said. She also said it’s possible to eat at McDonald’s without blowing your diet. “It’s all about moderation,” she said. “If you want a hamburger and fries, it’s not the end of the world. We do have healthy options, too, like our Egg White Delights, Southwestern Salad and parfaits. You can eat a whole day at McDonald’s and stay within your diet.” She pointed to John Cisla, a high school biology teacher from Iowa who wrote a book about his experience of eating solely at McDonald’s for six months. Cisla said his weight dropped from 249 to 190 pounds during that time. See kaple, page 35
Cajun Cooking: Jubilee Joe’s Crawfish Boil Is April 23
Jubilee Joe’s Cajun and Seafood Restaurant is bringing New Orleans flavor to Venue 31 in Pelham April 23. Thousands of pounds of fresh Louisiana crawfish will be brought in and boiled at the event, which is from 1-10 p.m. Other Louisiana dishes also will be on the menu. Headlining the festival’s entertainment will be Everclear, an American alternative rock band. A children’s center will include a crawfish race. Hungry patrons will have a chance to win $500 in a crawfish eating contest. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Hand in Paw, which provides animal-assisted therapy. General admission tickets are $22. VIP tickets are $45 and include all-you-can-eat crawfish. Admission is free for ages 12 and younger.
See food news, page 35