Our Story

McDonald's® of Guam & Saipan

In the 1980's, Jose "Joe" C. Ayuyu had a vision to become an entrepreneur in his home island of Saipan. In March 1993, he turned that dream into a reality by opening the island's first McDonald's restaurant, bringing the iconic golden arches to a small island community in the Pacific.

Today, nearly 30 years later, he continues the legacy of brand McDonald's. Together, he owns and operates 8 restaurants on Guam and Saipan. He and his family are proud to be a part of the more than 40,000 McDonald's restaurants worldwide, serving families and our communities with delicious, feel-good moments!

Humble Beginnings

Joe Ayuyu opened his first McDonald's® restaurant on March 18, 1993 in Chalan Laulau on Saipan. Together with his wife, Marcia Ayuyu, they ran the day-to-day operations while raising their 2 young children. They spent many late nights working in the kitchen, learning more about their business while working as a husband and wife duo.

In December 1996, after 3 successful years, they opened their 2nd McDonald's® restaurant in the tourist district of Garapan, Saipan. Their new location presented a great opportunity for tourists and locals to visit their restaurants from nearby hotels and shopping centers.

Family Business

In 2014, Marcia was awarded the title of Owner/Operator and Franchisee. On May 1, 2016, the Ayuyu's fulfilled one of their long-term goals of expanding their business through their acquisition of six McDonald's restaurants on the island of Guam. Overnight, they became one of the largest employers among the Pacific Islands.

Today, Joe and Marcia continue to run their McDonald's restaurants with the help of their son, Owner/Operator Joe Ayuyu Jr. and their daughters Mable and Ashley.