POST FALLS — Tim and Terri Skubitz haven’t spent nearly five decades with McDonald’s for the food alone.

“It’s a people business,” Terri said.

The couple acquired the McDonald's restaurant in Rathdrum after moving to the area in 2002, and their portfolio has only grown from there.

Today, they employ just over 300 people across their six McDonald’s restaurants in the Inland Northwest, including their newest location at 4163 Poleline Ave., set to open Feb. 27. A seventh is planned for Spokane Valley with a targeted opening in August.

“All of those are local jobs,” Tim said.

Independent franchisees privately own 95% of McDonald's restaurants, according to data from January 2026. In many cases, franchisees live in the same areas as their restaurants. 

For many of their employees, McDonald’s is their first job, and Tim and Terri know it can be an invaluable experience.

Tim was 15 years old when he got his first job at a McDonald’s in Seattle 48 years ago. That, along with his paper route, taught him discipline and responsibility.

“And I’ve stayed with McDonald’s ever since,” Tim said.

Terri, meanwhile, took a job at a different Seattle-area McDonald’s 46 years ago to earn money as a college student. As a crew member, she made $3.35 an hour. It wasn’t much, but she stayed the course.

“Any job is an opportunity,” Terri said. “What you do with it is what matters.”

Both made the most of the job opportunities they received all those years ago.

They worked their way up to management positions at separate restaurants before their paths crossed in 1985, when they were general and assistant managers at a restaurant in south Seattle.

For Tim and Terri, the growth of their franchise portfolio is rooted in philanthropy.

The yearly "McTeacher’s Night" at the Rathdrum restaurant, for example, has raised over $47,000 for the Lakeland Joint School District since 2003. It involves teachers working behind the counter in the kitchen to serve food.

“The kids get so excited to see their teachers outside of the school environment,” Tim said with a laugh.  

In total, the fundraiser has raised more than $92,000 across all participating restaurants in their portfolio.  

In that same spirit, the grand opening of the Poleline restaurant will include a celebration honoring first responders from 4 to 6 p.m., along with a donation to the Red and Blue Foundation.  

“They are the guardians of our community,” Terri said. “We want to say thank you and recognize the service they provide.” 

As business owners, she added, it’s precisely the kind of thing they should be doing.

“It’s not just about jobs or feeding your community or owning a restaurant,” Terri said. “It’s about what kind of positive influence you decide to have.”  

    Tim and Terri Skubitz go over blueprints for their newest McDonald's restaurant in Post Falls.