FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Contact:

Morgan Kaya

Communications Pacific

Phone: (808) 543-3569 Cell: (808) 226-2202

Melissa Malahoff-Kamei

Communications Pacific

Phone: (808) 543-3585 Cell: (808) 221-6439

McDONALD'S RESTAURANT MANAGER ROBERT IBIA

RECOGNIZED AS KAUAI'S EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR AT THE 2006 NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH LUNCHEON

HONOLULU –McDonald's Restaurant manager, Robert Ibia, will be honored at an annual luncheon hosted by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency as part of the 2006 National Employment Disability Awareness Month. The luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 12, at Washington Place where the Lt. Governor James Aiona will be presenting a proclamation. Ibia, along with nine other employers from around the state, will be recognized for their commitment to helping those with disabilities achieve success in the workplace.

"Robert is being honored because of his outstanding commitment to helping others," said Debbie Matsumoto, Kauai's Vocational Rehabilitation Agency branch administrator. "There are only a few people who take the time to care enough about giving others a chance. This recognition is a reflection of the great work that he and the entire crew at McDonald's of Lihue do everyday."

"I was surprised by this recognition," Ibia said. "I am proud to do what I can to help others, with or without acknowledgement."

Ibia has worked at McDonald's for 26 years and has learned a lot about working with people. When he first started at McDonald's he was just a teenager, yet he clearly remembers a disabled man he had the "privilege" of working with.

"I learned that a disability does not mean a person can't do a job, it just means doing it a little differently," says Ibia. He has since learned to recognize the distinction and has guided his store with that same philosophy.

Ibia has been a manager for 14 years and just recently moved from being the manager of McDonald's Restaurant of Lihue to the McDonald's Restaurant of Ele'ele. He and his wife Mindi have four children and live in Lihue, Kauai.

"Managers like Robert make our organization a better one," said Veronica Kaneko, President of McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii. "We believe in providing all of our employees with an opportunity to grow. Robert makes that statement a reality. He makes it his responsibility to give people a chance to succeed."

McDonald's Restaurants of Hawaii has 85 restaurants and more than 3,500 employees in Hawai'i, Guam, and Saipan. The company spends approximately $150 million annually in Hawai'i, the economic impact of which creates nearly 10,000 jobs in the community. McDonald's prides itself on offering career opportunities to employees, with most managers staying with the company approximately 17 years.

McDonald's USA LLC is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 13,700 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. More information on McDonald's can be found at www.mcdonalds.com .