She may be small in stature, but Maureen Hutchinson is the big personality you'll definitely not forget when you call into the country's busiest McDonald's.
With her bright smile and sharp wit, the East Belfast granny knows how to keep the customers happy, as well as in line, at the Donegall Place branch in Belfast city centre.
From having a laugh with the teenagers who descend after school every Friday, to hearing about what Santa is bringing her youngest customers, Maureen is the friendly face of the fast food chain.
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"I enjoy my job, I love working with people, always have, I am a people person," said the 64-year-old customer care assistant.
"You come in to work and the young ones who work here are great and meeting the customers and making them feel welcome.
"It gets me out of the house and I just love talking to people."
It could be you are one of the people Maureen has acted as 'agony aunt' for during her three years at the branch with people giving her their life stories over a meal.
It's a role Maureen is very proud of, as well as keeping the place looking impeccable, and knows how important a friendly chat can be to someone who may be feeling a bit low.
"You get to know the regulars coming in, wish them a good morning and see what they need or want. They all talk away to me," said the grandmother-of-three.
"The way I look at it is, it is important to enjoy being in the lobby because you are meeting and greeting people and making them feel welcome.
"Some of them say they come back in to see me. It doesn't cost much to be civil to people, say good morning and have a wee chat with them."
She added: "Some people come in and they are sitting on their own and we'll maybe have a wee chat and they'll say they'll be coming back in and I say they are very welcome."
And it's not just the customers she looks after, Maureen - who has three sons - has taken on the role of granny to the rest of the staff, who she sees as a second family.
"I am the granny, they all look after me. I just talk away to them and they keep me going, they all get on great and have the banter and a laugh, that is what you want to go to work for," she said.
Maureen is always on hand for a hug for other staff members if they are feeling a bit down and being the eldest of the group has found herself in the role of granny, with her looking after the younger staff members and vice versa.
"Every day is a great day for me because it is the people who make it," she said.
Maureen's favourite time of year to work is Christmas, when young families call into the restaurant and the children are all excited about Santa's arrival.
"I love coming up to Christmas, you get all the wee ones coming in and telling you about Santa, it's great. It is the buzz of the wee ones telling you how many sleeps and that they have to be good," she said.
But it is the teenagers who keep Maureen on her toes and provide her with laughs.
"They all come in and they all know me, I will ask if they are up to anything and they will say, 'No we aren't Maureen', I will say I am watching you and you are watching me so you know the score," she said.
"You get some laughs," she added.
But you'll never see Maureen working on a Saturday, that is the day reserved for her youngest son John, 28, who has learning difficulties.
He comes up to see her every Saturday and they spend the day doing something special together.
When told she was in fact perhaps the beating heart of the restaurant, Maureen said she was "very pleased" but added: "Like I said I am nobody, I am just a member of staff but it's always been my way, to me it is important to show people your kindness and you are there for them. The way I look at it is if you make them feel happy they will come back."
Paul Connan, Franchisee of McDonald’s Donegall Place, said: "Maureen has the most remarkable ability to forge instant connections with customers – always going out of her way to make them feel welcome; to help in any way she can; or simply to have a chat with them about their day.
"She is exceptionally popular with colleagues of all ages in the restaurant. She is incredibly astute and always hones in straight away when a colleague isn’t quite ‘themselves’, offering a comforting ear and words of wisdom.
"Maureen is an asset to Donegall Place and a fantastic ambassador for McDonald’s. She brings a huge amount of warmth, character and craic to the restaurant, and is adored by everyone who meets or works with her. We are grateful for her continued hard work and the undeniable ‘magic touch’ she brings to our restaurant."
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