Ira Salls passed away in October at age 70 and is survived by her husband, Thomas, and four children, Damian, David, Stephanie, and John, as per her obituary.
She leaves a legacy as being the first Black female McDonald’s franchise owner in Kentucky and Indiana. What is more, she was regarded as one of the company’s most successful operators, with nine locations in Louisville, KY, before her demise. Prior to becoming a franchise owner, she worked at the fast-food chain as a staff accountant, according to WDRB.
“I was hired by McDonald’s because I already had a degree and was a CPA. McDonald’s was forward-thinking, and they wanted Black CPAs working in their accounting department,” she recalled to the outlet.
The Black entrepreneur from Cincinnati, OH, is a graduate from Northern Illinois University. She also has an MBA and a master’s degree in public administration from Northwestern University.
Beyond being a successful businesswoman, Salls led the Black History Makers of Today, a $1,000 scholarship program for Black high school students, Afrotech reported.
“Part of McDonald’s, we give back to the communities we serve,” she told WHAS 11 at the time during Black History Month. “When I think about how McDonald’s has afforded me so many opportunities, but also so many others before me and so many scholarships, it’s very important. They make a difference.”
She later added, “There’s so much bad news, but there are a lot of brilliant, bright, hardworking students that make a difference every day and will be making a difference in the future going forward. I want those students to have an opportunity to excel in their dreams.”
Her work output and dedication saw her being honored by McDonald’s. She was awarded the Golden Arch Award, which is only given to the top 1% of McDonald’s operators, as per WDRB.
Before her death, Salls held a leadership role in the local Louisville/Lexington franchisee cooperative as a member of the co-op’s board of directors. She was also a representative for local Kentucky franchisees on McDonald’s national marketing co-op.
Her funeral was held on Saturday, November 2, 2024.
“One of my favorite things about working in radio is the interaction you have with advertisers, and over time they become more than that. They become family. Such is the case with Ira,” Mark Gunn, vice president of programming for Aircom Media, expressed on the obituary’s tribute wall.
“Over the last 4 years, I had the pleasure of personally working hand in hand with her when it came to creating her radio commercials… She blessed all of us with her love and commitment to Louisville, and she leaves a legacy that her family will continue to uphold.”
