Busy McDonalds celebrates 10 years in Kildare

IT'S not every day you get to celebrate two big birthdays on the same date.

That’s exactly what Co Kildare woman Kamila Jansova did on September 30.

The day marked a decade since the opening of McDonald’s Naas - and her eldest daughter’s ninth birthday.

“I gave birth to my first child on the same day that we opened the restaurant in Naas,” Kamila said.

“I planned it well! It’s such a lovely memory for me on both fronts.” 

Czech Republic native Kamila, who lives in Newbridge, has worked with McDonald’s for almost 17 years.

She started as a crew member in Newbridge in December 2008, worked her way up to Business Manager in 2013 and was promoted to operations consultant last August.

In her current role she looks after the Naas and Newbridge restaurants.

“I did all the different jobs - floor manager, shift manager, you name it – along the way,” she said.

“Then I got the fantastic opportunity to open Naas as business manager in 2015.

“It’s open 24/7 and is one of the busiest restaurants in Ireland.” Flexibility, she said, is one of the best bits about being a McDonald’s employee.

“When I had my daughters, I scaled back my hours, which helped immensely with childcare,” she said.

Another career high came last year when she was shortlisted for the prestigious global Ray Kroc Award, which recognises the top 1 per cent of McDonald’s managers worldwide.

“I didn’t win, but I got down to the last three finalists, so I’m delighted,” she added.

Kamila also recalled a tougher chapter when McDonald’s Newbridge, which recently reopened, burned down in 2024 and was shut for more than a year.

“We brought around 40 employees to our Naas restaurant and it was great to have a strong management team and crew,” she said.

“For eight straight weeks, we were the busiest restaurant in the country.” Newbridge, she added, marked one year of reopening on September 4.

For Kamila, working at McDonald’s is a family affair thanks to her sisters, Martina (43) and Karolina (35), who also earn a living under the Golden Arches.

“When Newbridge burned down it was a real family reunion because all three of us ended up working together,” she said.

What keeps Kamila here is simple: the people.

“The people who work with you and the people around you make the job special,” she said.

“There’s a lot of work at weekends and on bank holidays and it’s a hard job. But the people definitely make a difference.” 

“That’s my biggest passion. I love to see people progress.” 

Franchisee Sean Quirke says Kamila’s work ethic is second to none

“It’s great to be marking 10 years since Kamila and her fantastic team helped us open McDonald’s Naas,” he said.

“Our people are everything and we know we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.

“Kamila’s hard work, dedication and desire to do her best lifts her colleagues and our customers and makes our restaurants truly great.”