About

We replaced

Concrete & Gravestones for

Hamburgers

50+ Years Serving Smiles — in 16 Locations Across Kentucky

Pictured (left to right): Audrey Burrell McIntosh (daughter), Tom Burrell (Owner-Operator), and Scott McIntosh (son-in-law).

Tom Burrell is the Owner-Operator of Burrell Family McDonald’s, a family-owned group of McDonald’s restaurants serving communities across Kentucky.

Tom’s journey with McDonald’s started on the restaurant floor. He worked his way up from a crew member to owner-operator at his family’s restaurant, giving him a deep, firsthand understanding of the business — and, more importantly, the people who make it run. Because he’s lived it, he knows what it takes to support teams at every level.

Throughout his career, Tom has led with a simple belief: when you take care of people, everything else follows.

That people-first approach is one of the reasons Tom is a recipient of the Fred Turner Award, the highest honor given to McDonald’s Owner-Operators and awarded to only the top 1% worldwide. The award recognizes leaders who operate with integrity, invest in people, and make a meaningful impact in their restaurants and communities.

At Burrell Family McDonald’s, Tom is known for growing leaders from within, creating real career paths, and fostering a culture where people feel supported, valued, and encouraged to grow — not just at work, but in life.

How it All Began...

Have you ever heard of an opportunity and just knew it was something you couldn’t pass up?

In 1974, Jim and Emily Burrell, (Tom Burrell’s parents) took a leap of faith that would change their family’s legacy. And it all revolved around hamburgers.

At the time, a new fast-food chain was beginning to pop up across the country, known as McDonald’s. With determination and persistence, Jim and Emily’s strong work ethic convinced corporate to take a chance on opening the family’s first restaurant.

As a father of eight, Jim left his prior work in the concrete and gravel business and moved his entire family from Ypsilanti, Michigan to open their first location in Franklin, Kentucky.

From there, Jim went on to open three of the family’s original restaurants in Elizabethtown and Glasgow.

Building a better future and a lasting legacy for their children has always been at the heart of this family’s story. And ever since that first leap of faith, they have been living out that dream.

Today, Tom Burrell carries that legacy forward as the Owner-Operator of Burrell Family McDonald’s, now a 16-restaurant organization serving communities across Kentucky.