You might say Tim and Theresa Williamson fell in love beneath the Golden Arches.

They were 19 and both working at neighboring McDonald’s restaurants. A crew meeting brought them together.

That was back when McDonald’s was just rolling out its drive-through service. “We were writing on tickets, adding them up in our heads,” said Theresa. No cash registers at the windows.

Theresa left McDonald’s eventually and became a nurse. She retired last October and then “came back to work” when she and Tim bought the Crescent City and Brookings restaurants.

Tim has worked at McDonald’s for 36 years, starting in Tacoma making milk shakes and working his way up. It’s been his lifetime goal to own his own, but there’s an “extensive approval process” to be able to own one. “We waited almost three years for an opportunity to purchase a store,” said Tim. “These ones came up for sale and we jumped on them.”

The new owners are very hands-on. “Theresa’s in there every day. We’re there with the workers helping out,” said Tim.

They moved to the region from Billings, Mont., and now reside in Brookings. They have two grown children still living in Montana.