For Brighton Mcdonald's franchise owner Brian Boselli, you could say his love of his particular brand of fast food is all in the family.

His grandfather Francis bought his first McDonald's in 1974 in Thornton. His dad Richard bought his McDonald's in 2000 at U.S. Highway 85 and Kuner Road in Brighton.

Brian bought his Mcdonald's at the Prairie Center Parkway shopping center in 2018.  Brian is building a new McDonald's with a potential opening in August at 50th and Bridge.

But beyond putting food on the family's tables for three generations, Boselli said there's romance, too.  His dad Richard and mom Denise met at the family's Thornton McDonald's and have now been married for 42 years.

So when new Colorado residents  Dennis and Janice Koning wanted to celebrate their 45th anniversary May 28 at his family's restaurant, you could say he was lovin' it.

Love by the grill

 Janice and Dennis met in the summer of 1973 while working the same shift at an Illinois McDonald's.

"He asked me to go out and we had a nice time. I thought he was cute and had a good personality and our personalities clicked. We continued dating," Janice said.

Dennis said, "She was cute and both of us were hard workers. We wanted to earn money, of course, and we were in high school. We both had our cars and we both worked as much as we could. In those days were both making $1.35 an hour."

Dennis said their bosses found out they were dating, so they were put on different shifts. But just like a french fry grease stain on an apron, their stubborn love would not go away.

"It wasn't fun, but we made it work," Janice said.

They married in 1977 and have two daughters and three grandchildren. They purchased a home in Brighton ten years ago to be closer to their daughter and grandbabies. 

"When it was our anniversary, I wanted to see if my wedding dress still fit. I said if it fits, I'll take a picture wearing it every year and it's been 45 years. We tried to make the most out of life and have fun, " Janice Koning said.

That's why they decided to celebrate the day at Boselli's restaurant. He was happy to have them.

"We are there for any celebration. You never know when it is going to happen and we don't encourage dating between crew members. It's been known to lead to some relationships," Boselli said.

The family business is going through some transitions now. Richard Boselli will retire at the end of the year, and Brian will purchase his dad's franchises to keep them in the family and run all three Brighton locations.

Owning a McDonald's is a 24/7 operation, and it's a tough job. Brian has four children, so he can't predict which child will go into the McDonald's business.

"I come from a family of four and I'm the only one in the business. It's not for everybody, it's a tough job, but a good job. It's definitely rewarding," he said.

"It was just a great opportunity with a great company. It's a chance to be involved in communities and to help next-generation enter the workforce," he said. "And we're excited to be a part of the community and to make an impact on the lives of people in Brighton. We focus on staying local in the city of Brighton."