Madison Heights McDonald's employee retires after nearly 32 years

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – If you’ve had breakfast at the Madison Heights McDonald’s restaurant in the past three decades, chances are, you’ve met Johnna South. She retired Thursday, May 31 after nearly 32 years with McDonald’s and there were smiles and happy tears as she ended her final shift.

Her coworkers describe South as the matriarch of the restaurant, someone who knows customers by name and by their orders. But she went above and beyond to make working at the restaurant at John R & 12 Mile Rd. feel like family. Coworkers recalled her knitting baby blankets when they brought their newborns home from the hospital. Restaurant supervisor Jackie Gillies said South is like the grandmother of that McDonald’s restaurant.

"I've known Johnna since I was 15, Johnna has been the breakfast manager here for 30 years. She's been a permanent figure at McDonald's.”

McDonald’s Owner-Operator Laura Percival said South has been a role model to employees over the past 30 years.

"When you have someone like Johnna, it's absolutely fabulous because they connect with the customers and they connect with the employees—the employees that have been with us a long time and the employees that are just coming in,” said Percival. “In Johnna's case, she's been such a role model to young people coming in and showing them what a career can be like for a young mother, or someone who needs flexibility in their work hours. And Johnna's relationships with the customers are so interesting, when she comes in in the morning, it's 'Hi Johnna!' 'Hi Steve!' Everybody knows everyone by first name and she knows their orders. And so to the new employees that come in, there's this sense of relationship with the customer. So it's not across the counter, it's a team, it's a family."

South said while this is the end of her career at McDonald’s, it’s the start of a new chapter for her and her husband, who also retired last week. They plan to travel out west in a trailer and see parts of the country they’ve not visited before. But she added, she’ll be back at the Madison Heights McDonald’s.

"Oh I'll be up here, I only live about four blocks from here, so I'll be up here visiting everybody. Naturally, I can't just leave,” South said.

McDonald’s of Michigan salutes South for her years of dedication.Here’s a video showing how she was honored on her last day.