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Highlands Today

Golden Years Instead Of Arches

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By Norm Cukras | Highlands Today

Published: February 9, 2008

Ruth and I took a ride out into the country earlier this week to the visit Edd and Rita Vowels, who just about a year ago sold off all but one of their McDonald's restaurants.

Last Feb. 15, I wrote the final chapter on the couple's highly successful business ventures in the tri-county area as well as their influence on so many of the area's community affairs. Then on the 21st of that month they signed the papers that closed out that phase of their life. They then officially joined the ranks of the relaxed retired ones.

"One thing about retirement," Edd says in his soft-spoken manner, "when I wake up I wonder, 'What day is this?'"

Although he doesn't have that problem on the three days of the week when he's out putting around the Spring Lake golf course, where he got a membership from Rita for Christmas. And when he's not on the course he may be out pursuing his alternate hobby of bass fishing.

The problem with the fishing, however, is that the successful results of this hobby require cooking; a household task that normally diminishes in direct proportion to the length of time one has been retired. "I cook less than usual," Rita admits. What she does more than usual, however, is immerse herself in her hobby of quilting, spending a lot of her free time at Crafty Quilters. She also has one room of the couple's picture book home devoted to sewing.

It took Edd about three months to adjust to not having to show up at the family's blockhouse style company headquarters on U.S. 27, behind one of their then nine stores. The family retained their Arcadia outlet and for a while the patriarch would put in at least one day a week there. "I started out staying all day," he chuckles, "now I'm down to about an hour at a time."

And retirement suits the couple, who recalled that when they bought their first store 25 years ago, they worked the first three months 12 hours a day seven days a week before they got a day off. "We don't want to go back," Rita says. And they are confident they don't have to; the Arcadia store is under the firm and capable management of son Tim and son-in-law Clay Kinslow.

Plans Come True

Prior to signing the documents that turned the eight stores back to the corporation, the Vowels had their tickets in hand for an Alaskan cruise. In June, accompanied by friends, they were on their way.

"It was wonderful," Rita exclaimed bringing out her photo album that documented the occasion. "If you can only go on one cruise in your lifetime, make it Alaska."

To make the cruise and land tour even more exciting they became members of the "Thirty Percent Club." They got to see, at 20,320 feet, the top of Alaska's Mount McKinley, which is visible only 30 percent of the time.

When they got home they booked another cruise. This time it's for the Caribbean. And this time the whole Vowel Mcfamily will go. Ah, the thrill of retirement.

Always A Beginning

The first time I met Edd was back in '97 when McDonald's was test-marketing the sale of cappuccino. When I interviewed him about the McCoffee offering I found that we had both been introduced to the specialty coffee in Italy. This time we talked about how the fastfood chain is about to challenge the likes of Starbucks with not only cappuccino but also espresso and lattés. Edd says his Arcadia store is in the wait-and-see mode.

Right now he and Rita have more important things to concern themselves with like when should they pack up to spend some time at their Maggie Valley, N.C., retreat.

"We used to plan on spending a week there," Rita said smiling. "Now we can go for a month."

Like last October when they went there to see the leaves turn. "It's fun to be able to enjoy the seasons again," she reflected.

Another advantage to the new style of living: "McDonald's food seems to taste better than ever," Edd judged, "because I don't have it so often."

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