Alice Kane celebrates 35 years at McDonald’s.

Alice Kane knows the McDonald’s menu better than just about anyone. She will enthusiastically tell you about her favorite crispy chicken sandwich currently available to customers and is quick to list off all the favorite foods that have come and gone over the past three decades.

She knows the menu so well because she serves the food during the busy lunch rushes at McDonald’s located near the St. Croix Valley Recreation Center in Stillwater four days each week. It is a job she has been doing for 35 years.

“People always ask me, ‘Hey, do you work with Alice?’ You get that question a lot. She’s one of the most famous people in Stillwater!” said owner Andy Duval.

Alice started working at the original Stillwater McDonald’s in 1989 as a cleaner. One of her managers saw potential and trained her to do much more. Now she can handle just about any job at the busy restaurant, but sticks to taking orders at the kiosk, running food, and working both drive-thru windows.

“I like being sociable,” Alice said. “And I like being friendly with the customers.”

In May, Duval and his team hosted a special anniversary party in Alice’s honor. “This is an opportunity for us to thank Alice for 35 amazing years,” he said. “Thank God you’re here. How would we run without Alice? We really wouldn’t. We’d close down shop. We admire her consistency, her constant hard work. She’s a joy for all the workers and the customers.”

And she’s a role model for her coworkers. Several years ago, a manager encouraged her to be a certified trainer. She has trained most of her coworkers on the day-to-day tasks in the restaurant. Some of the people she trained are now store managers and district managers.

Alice checks in with her Rise job coach, Stacy Egeness, each week. They talk about work, what’s going on in her life, and how her favorite teams, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, are doing each season. “Alice always has a great perspective on things, and I think that’s what makes her a good worker, too, because she’s really kind, very sweet, and always wants to help out,” Egeness said.

After so many successful years, Alice has no plans to quit working. She hopes to work at least another ten more years.

“My goal is to make it to 47 years,” she said. “Hopefully I can physically do it.”