(West Plains, MO) What began as a chance opportunity in 1980 has grown into a family legacy that now includes 27 McDonald’s locations — and it all started in West Plains.
On Tuesday, July 15, the West Plains McDonald’s on Preacher Roe Blvd marked its 45th anniversary with a community celebration honoring the Hilburn-Vaini family, whose journey with the iconic golden arches began four and a half decades ago. City and state leaders joined in the festivities, with the Mayor of West Plains issuing an official proclamation and Missouri State Representative Lisa Durnell also presenting a proclamation recognizing the family’s continued investment in the region.
It all started with a fluke.
“My dad started in 1980, and it was a complete fluke that we ended up here in West Plains,” said current owner Andi Hilburn-Vaini during the celebration. At the time, her father was running a RadioShack and had roots in the community going back more than 150 years. He was encouraged by a family friend to look into this “new thing” called McDonald’s. Despite initially being told he wouldn’t be able to stay in West Plains, fate intervened.
The McDonald’s Corporation had originally assigned the West Plains location to a man from Chicago. But after a visit, his wife refused to relocate, opening the door for the Hilburn family to take the reins. With just a month’s notice, the family sprang into action. They trained daily in Springfield, commuting back and forth in the back of a truck.
On July 3, 1980, West Plains officially got its first McDonald’s. At the time, the town had one stoplight and a much smaller footprint, but the arrival of McDonald’s brought a burst of excitement. As the first McDonald’s within 100 miles, traffic backed up around the overpass, eager to try something new.
From those humble beginnings, the family grew the business slowly but steadily. “We had one store for many, many years,” Hilburn-Vaini shared. The second location opened in Mountain View in 1993, followed by a third across town in 1995.
But tragedy struck in 1997 when Andi’s father passed away suddenly. At the time, McDonald’s had never had a female operator in that position. Her mother, Norma, insisted on carrying on the legacy — a decision that made her a trailblazer in the company. “McDonald’s didn’t know what to do with her,” Andi said, “but they came down, held her hand, and supported her all the way.”
Norma went on to mentor other women facing similar situations and eventually helped guide her own daughter into the business. Andi completed college and returned home, ready to lead. In 2010, she purchased her first store from her mother, and by 2012, she had officially taken over all three.
Since then, the family’s McDonald’s footprint has expanded to include 27 locations. But Andi is quick to point out that it all comes back to where it started.
As a part of the 45th anniversary celebration the Hilburn-Vaini Family took the time to present the Arts On The Avenue a check for $4500 to help in the replacement of seating at the Avenue Theatre in West Plains.
The 45th anniversary celebration continues at the McDonalds on Preacher Roe Blvd Wednesday as they host a Hamburglar Happy Meal Party Wednesday from 4pm to 7pm with $3 Happy Meals, and photo opportunities with Hamburglar and friends.
