Mack Wilbourn
Outstanding Entrepreneur & Philanthropist | Class of 2024-NEW
Mack Wilbourn, a native of Magnolia, Arkansas, has been the owner and president of Mack II, Inc., a quick-service restaurant management company, since 1971. He graduated from Tucson High School in Tucson, Arizona, and later from the University of Arizona, where he majored in accounting. Wilbourn’s career in the restaurant industry began with one of his first jobs at Jack in the Box. On June 15, 1971, he and his partner, Brad Hubbert, became among the first minority McDonald’s franchise owners in the Atlanta area. After operating four McDonald’s restaurants for 21 years, they sold the business in 1992.
Today, Wilbourn’s franchises include Atlanta Bread & Bar, Baja Fresh Mexican, Famiglia Pizza, Phillips Seafood, Popeye’s, and We Juice It, all located at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He is also the Managing Partner of MWJ, LLC, a vending company in Atlanta, and has managed Coca-Cola vending locations at the Atlanta airport since 2004. Additionally, Wilbourn runs a small angel investment firm that focuses on startup businesses, serving as a platform for vetting potential deals. He has taken on other joint ventures, serving as Managing Consultant with Paradies Midfield Corporation, The Rouse Corporation (Underground Atlanta), and Service America Corporation (Fulton County Jail Foodservice). In 1996, he launched the first Popeye’s Chicken at an airport and his Edy’s Ice Cream location soon followed. Wilbourn also became an Olympic Licensee, wholesaling unique color-changing glass and mugs for the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games.
Throughout his career, Wilbourn has earned numerous awards and recognitions in publications such as Minority Business Entrepreneur, Franchise Update, Area Developer, and Automatic Merchandiser. Among his accolades, he was awarded “2011 Corporation of the Year” by The Atlanta Business League and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2016. Wilbourn has also been recognized by the City of College Park and the Georgia Restaurant Association, and he was recently inducted into the Tucson High School Hall of Fame. A longtime political supporter, Wilbourn has hosted four U.S. Democratic Presidents—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden—as well as VP Kamala Harris and Ambassador Andrew Young. His influence has also reached key leaders in Atlanta’s government, dating back to Mayor Maynard H. Jackson. Known for his motivational guidance, Wilbourn has uplifted others through his service to numerous businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, youth programs, and local schools. He currently serves on the boards of Georgia Primary Bank, The Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully, Inc. (CHOICES), The Piedmont Foundation, and The Smithsonian National Portrait Museum. Wilbourn is the proud father of two sons and grandfather to two grandsons and a granddaughter.