One Trenton couple's investment in the city goes beyond all expectations.
Anybody can talk a good game about civic involvement and community spirit. Freddie and Rosa Rosado are living those ideals.
If the wife and husband had merely donated their time to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, it would have been enough. If they'd just been president of the Latino Chamber of Commerce (Freddie) and spearheaded church galas (Rosa), it would have been plenty.
But now they're serving up community involvement with every burger at the new McDonald's on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Chambers Street, helping to guarantee that their investment in the franchise is also an investment in their city's future.
As the owners and operators of the fast-food restaurant, the Rosados have focused on hiring local residents.
They've taken their advocacy a giant step further, by launching a tutoring plan for high school students who work for them, with bonuses to students who bring home straight A's on their report cards.
Couple's investment goes way beyond McDonald's
Since opening the Chambersburg site, the couple has bought three nearby properties to rent to employees. Two of the multi-family homes needed renovations to bring them up to code.
Customers who visit the shiny new restaurant are greeted by a wall-size mural depicting government offices and the "Trenton Makes" sign on the bridge that spans the Delaware River - a powerful visual testament to the Rosados' hometown pride.
But don't take our word for it. Listen to what Mayor Eric Jackson has to say about the couple's outsize hearts.
"Freddie and Rosa Rosado are examples of business owners who are engaged in the community in which they do business," Jackson said. "That says a lot about their commitment to Trenton."
Locally owned businesses - retail stores, restaurants, childcare centers, nurseries - hold the key to a region's success, both socially and financially.
McDonald's in Trenton to serve up 100 jobs
"Every time a new business starts up or expands in Trenton, our local economy gets stronger and our residents have access to additional economic and buy-local opportunities," the mayor said.
The new venture marks a return of sorts for the Rosado family: They owned Center Travel and Cleveland Deli in the city before they bought six McDonald's restaurants in the Philadelphia area.
All the while they continued to live here, embedding themselves deeply in the daily life of their community.
Now they're back as part of the city's business community, providing meals for the homeless at an area park and sponsoring this year's Trenton's National Night Out, a program to help law-enforcement officers and the people they serve come together to fight crime.
Ample proof we'd say, that two people with the right approach can make an enormous impact.
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