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As president of Coaxum Enterprises, Inc.,
Henry L. Coaxum, Jr. is the owner/operator
of seven
McDonald’s restaurants in the New Orleans
area. His first job with the McDonald’s
Corporation was as a manager trainee at the
McDonald’s restaurant located on the I-10
Service Road and Read Boulevard in Eastern
New Orleans in 1984. His career came full
circle in 2002 when he became the
owner/operator of that very same
restaurant. This restaurant also has the
distinction of being the first McDonald’s to
receive the Nation Restaurant News’
Successful Settings Award.
Although three of Coaxum’s original
restaurants were damaged and closed due to
Hurricane Katrina, he bought and reopened
the St. Charles Avenue restaurant in
February 2006 – just in time for the 150th Mardi
Gras celebration in New Orleans. This was
the first McDonald’s restaurant to reopen on
the east bank of New Orleans post Hurricane
Katrina. In 2006, Coaxum set a restaurateur
record by acquiring and reopening four
closed full-service restaurants in five
months. In December 2006, Coaxum reopened
his originally-owned Read Boulevard
location, which was rebuilt to its
award-winning appearance and décor.
In January 2007, he reopened the S.
Claiborne Avenue restaurant (one of his
original three restaurants he owned
pre-Katrina). In July of that year, he
reopened the Bullard Avenue McDonald’s,
which was the first quick-service restaurant
to reopen on that eastern New Orleans
avenue.
On September 25, 2009, Coaxum celebrated his
25th anniversary
with the McDonald’s Corporation, including
his years as a corporate employee and as a
franchisee. The celebration was held with
his staff at the newly renovated Coaxum
Enterprises Training and Resource Center, a
7,000 square-foot facility that houses his
corporate office and training and equipment
labs. Coaxum offers this state-of-the-art
facility for use by local non-profits,
universities and business development
groups.
Coaxum has served as President of the Great
Southern Region’s Black McDonald’s Operators
Association. He was appointed by New
Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu as Chairman of
the NOLA Business Alliance Board, launching
the city’s first-ever public-private
partnership for economic development. He
also was appointed to the Board of
Commissioners of the city’s Hospital Service
District Board that oversees the development
and operation of a full service hospital in
Eastern New Orleans.
Coaxum received “The Ronald Award” from the
McDonald’s Corporation.
The prestigious award honors McDonald’s
owner/operators for outstanding service — to
both the McDonald’s brand through
exemplary operations, marketing and employee
relations practices, as well as to their
local communities. He
helps to keep the “Golden Arches” shining
through his fundraising efforts with local
non-profits and charitable organizations.
Coaxum was recognized by the Neighborhood
Development Foundation as being the
recipient of The Leadership Award which
honors an individual or organization which
has demonstrated outstanding leadership in
the development and growth of New Orleans
neighborhoods.
In recognition of their exemplary
leadership in community volunteerism and
philanthropy, Coaxum and his wife, Karen,
were named the recipients of the United Way
of the Greater New Orleans Area’s Alexis de
Tocqueville Award -- the highest honor
bestowed by United Way.
Coaxum was selected as a 2012 Laureate of
the Junior Achievement Business Hall of
Fame, joining the Junior Achievement of
Greater New Orleans, Inc. which inspires and
prepares young people to successfully
participate in their economy through
workforce development, entrepreneurship and
financial literacy.
Coaxum’s work with the area’s youth also is
being furthered as a McDonald’s
franchisee. He offers two education
incentive programs for his student
employees. For high school students,
employees are rewarded with pay raises for
good grades. And for college students, his
“scholarships” help pay for books and
tuition if the student employees’ grades are
maintained while being employed. “Our youth
need to learn that you can get rewarded if
you work hard at both school and a job. Who
knows, that job could end up being your
career,” he says. |
