Jones served as a regional manager for a smaller company that operated about 35 restaurants, but it went out of business following the 9/11 catastrophe. He later worked in middle management at the Starbucks company. But one day Jones came to a life changing realization. “I could own. I always had the desire to be able to make decisions on my own. I was carrying out directions,” he says.
Jones hasn’t looked back. “My experience with McDonald’s has been very positive since joining the organization, investing and becoming a McDonald’s owner. I have been very successful [and] able to improve the numbers in terms of finances and growth, which enabled me to move forward and open a second location,” he shares.
When asked how does operating two restaurants affect time spent at home with his wife Beverly and his kids, Jones answers, “My children were in their last years of high school when [I operated my first restaurant].” His son and daughter, Lance Jones II and Brittney, are finishing college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning their degrees in communications and medicine, respectively. “I was very active in their lives [when they were younger]. I coached baseball, basketball and a little soccer … . I was really involved in my kids’ lives and that is what I wanted to do.”
Jones is now very active in his community and church. “I am involved with the Boys Club, Real Men Read, and I am a deacon and secretary at my church, Sheldon Heights Church of Christ.”
Even though Jones’ kids have reached adulthood, his nest is far from empty. “My passion is working with inner city [kids] and helping [them] fulfill their goals. We [hire] a lot of students and I work with organizations in the neighborhood. We try to accommodate them so they are able to continue with their studies … [we do] whatever it takes to help them move forward in their lives,” he adds with sincerity.
In Jones’ spare time, he enjoys vacations and playing golf. –yvette caslin
