INDIANAPOLIS — Customers who visited the North Michigan Road McDonald's Tuesday were in for a surprise.
For a moment, behind the counter taking orders, was none other than Indy's own Mike Epps.
"Welcome to McDonald's. My name is Mike. May I help you?" said Epps, whose first job as a teen was at McDonald's. "I was looking really cool and fashionable working at McDonald's. Everybody wanted something free. I remember all my friends coming to McDonald's like, 'Man, you got a job at McDonald's, you gon' hook me up?' I'm like, 'No man, they are keeping count on these nuggets,'" Epps said.
Epps was honored by McDonald's owner/operators James and Pam Poore and presented with a "One in Eight Alumni" McDonald's jacket.
It's part of the restaurant chain's campaign focusing on the statistic that one in eight Americans has been employed by McDonald's at some point in their lives.
"It taught me sportsmanship, believe it or not, even though it's not a sport. It taught me how to work with people at a young age," Epps said.
Epps also encouraged young Hoosiers.
"Our youth need to see that it's OK to start at a level like this because this is not only a job, this is a learning experience," Epps said.
Epps is also giving back to his community in a big way.
He and his wife, Kyra, have been on a mission to revitalize homes on the street where he grew up. Viewers will get to see the process and results on a new HGTV show called "Buying Back the Block," airing at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8.
In an early release provided to 13News, Epps said, "Over the years, things have changed. Some of the houses are ran down. The streets are ran down. Me and my wife, Kyra, we're on a mission to renovating these houses one at a time and to make sure people can afford them.
"I bought my whole childhood block back. Six homes that we actually got evicted from."
Epps said they're trying to bring hope and encouragement to all.
"Everything that I do, I'm trying to inspire the next generation coming in," Epps said.
That, he said, takes patience.
"Keep God in your life. Make sure that you are patient. Pace yourself. Wait your turn because you definitely have one coming," Epps said.