The operator of 11 McDonald’s franchises, including the one in Concordville, will soon undergo a leadership change as the family’s patriarch, Les Dukart, retires at 70, writes Diane Mastrull for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

There is nothing to fear for the family business though, as the other three principals in Dukart Management Corp. – Les’s younger brother Alan of Garnet Valley and his two sons Joel of Philadelphia and Michael of Glen Mills – are planning to take up the mantle.

The family currently runs 11 McDonald’s locations throughout Pennsylvania and Delaware, and employs close to 625 employees. Les Dukart is retiring 12 years after the death of his father, Len Dukart, who started the family business by opening his first store in 1960 in Newark, following it with the Concordville location in 1973.

“It’s really a young person’s business,” Les said of his decision to retire.

The family is defying statistics, as according to industry studies, less than two-thirds of family businesses survive the second generation.

While Alan is considering scaling back his hours, Michael and Joel Dukart are looking toward a future that includes more restaurants “if the right opportunity comes along,” said Michael.

With the constant changes in the industry, the brothers also think that the future will likely require more technology-enabled options for off-premises ordering.

Read more about the family history in the Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.