Kramer Family McDonald’s celebrates patriarch Tom Kramer

For nearly 45 years, the Kramer family has served Perry County and surrounding communities as McDonald’s Owner/Operators.

The original Tell City McDonald’s restaurant opened its doors in December 1976, and at the helm of those original Golden Arches on the hill stood Tom Kramer and his wife, Susan, with their 20-month-old son, Ryan, on her hip.

Tom is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and after graduating from Purdue University, he worked as a salesman for United Screw and Bolt in Birmingham, Ala. That’s where he was introduced to the McDonald’s business by his entrepreneur father-in-law, who encouraged Tom to pursue the opportunity to own his own business. After training within the McDonald’s system in Atlanta, he was given the chance to make Southern Indiana a home for his family.

In the years since opening their first restaurant in Tell City, the Kramer family expanded their business into Warrick and Dubois Counties with the opening of the Boonville location as well as two in Jasper and one in Ferdinand.

Ryan, who took over the family business from his father officially in 2007, recalls many fond memories of growing up in the restaurant. Tell City had one of the world’s first McDonaldland Playgrounds, the predecessor to today’s Playplace, that Ryan and his three siblings, Terry, Katie, and Rory, frequented while visiting the restaurant. Ryan began taking cash before he was even tall enough to see over the counter. He used an overturned pickle bucket to reach the register and knew from a young age he wanted to be a lifelong part of the family business.

“To this day, I try to run my restaurants with the same integrity and example that my father set for me,” Ryan said. “We keep our people at the top of our priorities, and I still use my dad as a sounding board for advice, particularly regarding our employees, because he truly made an impact on so many lives during his career as an Owner/Operator with our organization.”

During his time as an operator, Tom Kramer was recognized in numerous areas of achievement, including the prestigious Alpha Award that he and Ryan won together from the McDonald’s Corporation, which honors organizations for excellence in leadership and training.

“Although it’s an honor to be celebrated with so many formal awards, the thing I’m most proud of is that my parents gave so much to the communities they served and wanted no recognition for it,” said Ryan. “Lots of people have plaques and trophies, but to me, the bigger testament to my dad’s character comes from the daily comments I get from our guests and former employees about what a huge impact Tom Kramer had on their lives.”

Ryan says he not only looks to his father as a role model for his business, but also as a role model for his family. Ryan and his wife Blayr have four children: Molly, 13; Cooper, 11; Ellie, 9; and Thomas, 7. When Ryan was contemplating downsizing from five restaurants to two, he turned to his father for advice.

“As hard as it was to let go of three restaurants we built together, my dad reassured me that focusing on my family is not something I would regret,” Ryan said. “He was absolutely right.”

Ryan sold three locations in Jasper and Ferdinand to Rick and Susan Mann and family a few years ago, but he’s still an active member of the Dubois County community through his church, his children’s schools, and their many extra-curricular activities.

Tom and Susan are now retired in Northern Indiana, but the impact they have on the local community is still strong today through quiet donations and philanthropic support.

Seven years ago, Tom was diagnosed with Kidney Cancer, and the support from the crews and communities surrounding the restaurants he once served is overwhelming. Ryan says each time he walks into his restaurants, he’s flooded with questions from crew and community members who want an update on his dad. March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, and the Tell City McDonald’s crew surprised the Kramer family with special shirts and signage to raise awareness for the cause and celebrate Tom.

“The support from the community and our crew is just amazing,” said Ryan. “Even those who didn’t work for my dad are rooting for him and our family, and that says a lot about the reach of his legacy.