Leading with Pride: Matt Dodd’s Story of Success and Advocacy

How a McDonald’s franchisee is using his platform to support and uplift communities in the Louisville area.

It wasn’t even a week into Pride month when I got to meet with Matt Dodd at Flanagan’s Ale House in Louisville. Hoping to get away from the June heat, we each order a drink and start talking about his experience as a queer business leader and philanthropist.

“I started at McDonald’s when I was 15 – it was honestly just the only job that hired 15-year-olds,” he said, after taking a sip of his wine. Dodd is now the owner-operator of seventeen McDonald’s in the Louisville area. Whether it’s a coffee on the way to work, a quick afternoon lunch, or a McChicken after a night of dancing at Big Bar (my personal favorite), chances are you’re ordering from one of his restaurants. The success of queer businesspeople is not something I often see – but Matt’s trajectory, regardless of identity, is categorically rare.

Matt’s family has always been supportive of his queerness, accepting him from the moment he came out. What they weren’t accepting of was his career path. “Both of my parents worked at Procter and Gamble, so that definitely wasn’t the most satisfactory thing for them.” Once they realized the professional potential McDonald’s held, “they were a little bit less cautious about it at that point.”

After decades of hard work to move his way up the ranks of McDonald’s – from crew member to area supervisor – Matt acquired his first location only two years ago at the age of 34. In that short span of time, he’s acquired a total of seventeen McDonald’s locations, including restaurants in Crestwood, Fern Valley, Middletown, and LaGrange.

Despite the sometimes monolithic and uncaring perception of large corporations like McDonald’s, Matt has been able to utilize his position to uplift the LGBTQIA+ community. 

“An important thing for me is to ask where the need is – I asked the Louisville Pride Foundation what they needed [for their annual festival on Bardstown Road], and they said they don’t have anywhere for families.” 

So, Matt is hosting the Family Fun Zone at Louisville Pride in September, which will give families a space to celebrate Pride with activities geared towards entertaining the youngest members of our community.

Matt’s philanthropy isn’t only geared toward the LGBTQIA+ community, he also aims to support underfunded organizations in the communities where his restaurants are located. 

“This year, Valley High School went to the national chess tournament, and we paid a significant portion for them to actually make the trip there,” he said. 

McDonald’s paid for all their meals while also pitching in on lodging, giving the students a fighting chance to win the tournament in Baltimore.

While Matt’s experiences as a queer business leader shape his charity, they certainly inform his approach to leadership, where his ultimate goal is to foster a safe and inclusive workplace. 

“I want my employment of people to provide an outlet for them to be themselves. If they can’t do it at home, or they can’t do it at school, let them be themselves at work.” 

Matt’s network of restaurants has created a platform for him to make his employees’ lives better in any way he can.

 “I think that openness has come from years of seeing people that don’t feel open – you should feel like you can be yourself at work,” Dodd said.

Perhaps the greatest gift that McDonald’s has given Matt, though, is his partner, Dylan. 

“I was 17 and he was 15, and we were both working at McDonald’s together. I guess he had a crush on me, and he asked me to give him a ride to school. We became really good friends, and eventually, we came out to each other. We’ve been together ever since.” He recounted, smiling. 

Together, they’ve navigated 19 years of their careers, with plans to continue growing.

From a teenager excited to make his own money to an employer of over 1,000 people, Matt Dodd stands out not only for his accomplishments as a gay businessman, but also for his commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. As he continues his journey, his focus remains on supporting the Louisville community in any way he can. You may see Matt and his organization in the Kentuckiana Pride Parade this month, or at their booth at the Festival.