He came well-dressed. He arrived in a Limousine. He walked on a red carpet. He waved to everyone. The staff clapped and cheered with pom-poms. He received a hefty cheque and enjoyed a special dinner. His 40 years of service, dedication, commitment, and work ethic was celebrated like a big milestone. He is neither a CEO nor a corporate biggie. It was not his farewell party either. His American Dream has been as simple as a common Indian man.
Amid the regular news of layoffs in the US tech sector, the celebration of Balbir Singh’s 40 years of service at McDonald’s feels like a breath of fresh air. His employer, colleagues and other staff came together to celebrate it like a milestone in a grand manner in November. Not only those he works with, but also America’s immigrant community and media cheered his success – which made it bigger for him and his family.
The red-carpet welcome, the earnest camaraderie, and the $40K cheque were beyond the imagination of Balbir Singh who came to the USA in the early 1980s – before H1B Visa opened doors to the US for Indian techies in 1990 and Air India started nonstop flights to USA in 1993. Far from the skyscrapers of Silicon Valley, the rat race to the corporate ladder, and the volatility of startups, Pargan Balbir Singh quietly built a steady career at McDonald’s in Saugus near Boston.
He began working at McDonald’s in 1985. Initially, he took over kitchen duties with the same discipline and dedication as in his homeland, Punjab. After a few years behind the grills, he moved to supervisory roles. Today, he manages four McDonald’s outlets and leads the team to excel every day without compromising on his work ethics. Colleagues affectionately call him “papa bear” and admire him for his humility, empathetic leadership, and unwavering attention to details.
Celebrating Balbir Singh’s steadfast loyalty as legacy, Lindsay Wallin, who owns nine McDonald’s outlets in the US, spoke highly of him to the media, “Balbir has shaped the heart and soul of the organization over his four decades of service.” “One of the things I admire most about Balbir is that he embraced our company motto of ‘Why not?’ Why not try something new? Why not grow? Why not push for better? That attitude has fueled our success,” she added highlighting his rare dedication.
Wallin also shared memories of the early days when Balbir worked for her father, Bob King, the original franchise owner. “Many of the people standing here were part of that original team, including Balbir,” she said. She explained how her father wanted to build a ‘McFamily’, not just a business, and expressed pride in carrying forward that legacy. “I first started as a crew. I worked in the kitchen and helped in the back… I tried to do everything. I’m really a proud and happy member of this family,” Balbir said.
His colleagues arranged a surprise bigger than the red-carpet welcome for Balbir at McDonald’s. It was a huge collage board featuring his old photos and celebrating his journey with them. On seeing it, Balbir could not help but let his tears roll down. For a moment, it took him back to the days when he came (legally) to America, a greener pasture of opportunities, leaving his mother (country) behind. He found warmth, love, family, stability…in his adopted home.
