CRESTVIEW — Donovan Smith is enjoying the 2014 Nissan Altima he now drives.
Especially one feature.
"The push (button) to start," he said. "The fact that you don't need the key is the coolest thing about it."
Costa Enterprises, which owns local McDonald's fast food restaurants, recently provided the new cars to Smith and fellow managers Fiona Downey and Ashley Ferdinand. Smith has been with McDonald's for 5 years; Downey for 8 years; and Ferdinand for 10.
General managers who've been with the organization for three months — after completing training at McDonald’s Hamburger University in Illinois — were eligible for the vehicles if their restaurants are in good standing with Costa Enterprises.
“It’s just an incentive; it keeps that loyalty (with the company),” said Roslyn Snyder, Costa Enterprises marketing and communications director.
While the vehicles are given to each general manager for personal use, employees have to give them back to the company if they leave to work somewhere else, Synder said.
The Costa family owns 18 restaurants in Northwest Florida, including Crestview, Niceville, Navarre, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe locations.
Email Santa Rosa Press Gazette Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Company awards cars to fast food restaurant managers