The First Class Was Very Small
Hundreds of McDonald's workers go to Hamburger University every year. They spend five days learning everything about McDonald's. They make lists of all the things they need to change at the real McDonald's restaurants they run.
The main Hamburger University building is named after Fred Turner. He started the Hamburger University program in 1961. The first classes were in the basement of a McDonald's.
Back then, he only had 15 students. Now there are seven Hamburger Universities around the world. They have helped 330,000 people learn how to run a McDonald's restaurant.
At Hamburger University, students learn about teamwork and being a good leader. They learn how to make smart decisions. They have to solve problems in the make-believe restaurant.