Sonia Mendez recalled standing in the communal room at the McDonald’s location in Riverdale, Maryland, when suddenly, members of her crew walked in holding colorful “Congratulations” balloons and flowers. They all shouted congratulations and clapped for her, leaving Mendez stunned.
“Vas al mundial,” one of her co-workers shouted in Spanish, translated to “You’re going to the World Cup.”
“I was like, ‘Oh my God! I just cannot believe it,'” Mendez, 40, said. “It was a very exciting moment, and especially that they have flowers, balloons and everybody was happy to say that I was going.”
Mendez, who is the general manager of the Riverdale location, was one of four U.S. McDonald’s employees selected to take part in a special three-day experience in New York City, which ended with a ticket to attend the men’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In total, 44 crew members from around the world were selected to take part in the experience.
Mendez, who’s worked at the company for 14 years, was nominated for the once-in-a-lifetime experience for her leadership skills and commitment to her team in Riverdale. Soledad Sanchez, operations consultant for McDonald’s, told 杏吧原创 she nominated Mendez for the opportunity for her hard work and passion.
“She makes it seem so easy,” Sanchez said. “She’s a leader. She helped her people, and she’s been helping her people grow, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Mendez began working at McDonald’s in Riverdale while attending Bladensburg High School in Prince George’s County. After bouncing around for years and gaining additional experiences, she returned to Riverdale in 2022 as its general manager.
Despite ongoing nearby construction of a future Purple Line station, the location has continued to outperform sales metrics. Meanwhile, Sanchez said Mendez has been able to balance being a single mother of three daughters while fostering a great work environment with a motivated staff.
For her part, Mendez is a big soccer fan. She grew up watching games with her father Pablo and roots for the Mexican national team. While she knew McDonald’s had opportunities to go to other events or go to school, Mendez “never imagined” going to the World Cup finals.
One night, as Sanchez and Mendez spoke on the phone during a Mexico World Cup match, Sanchez got the news that her colleague had been selected.
“I got the email, and I said, ‘Oh my God,’ I cannot tell her, but I really wanted to tell her,'” Sanchez said. “But it was not a tough decision.”
She flew to New York and participated in a welcome reception and a river cruise, which included getting close to the Statue of Liberty. She met McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski and took a photo next to the World Cup trophy.
On match day, she was given a special McDonald’s jersey to wear to the final as part of a package of goodies she took home. After taking part in a special social media video, Mendez watched as Spain defeated Argentina in extra time to win its second World Cup. McDonald’s brought her and all the other nominees back to Times Square for a special postgame meal.
The fast food company paid for the entire experience, including her flight and hotel stay. By the end of the experience, Mendez said the company made her and the other participants feel special, which made it hard to say goodbye.
“I feel so proud to have the opportunity to be there,” Mendez said. “I feel so amazing that I had the opportunity to know more people, to see what McDonald’s really does for us, like take care of people too.”
Now back in Riverdale, Mendez said she welcomes those in the D.C. region to visit her and her crew, who she credits for all her success. She hopes the staff sees her as an example of how to excel to higher roles in the company.
“I share my knowledge that I know with them so they can have more opportunities like me,” she said. “Maybe they have better opportunities in the future. They might become the next general managers, too.
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