CBS News Miami Anchor Receives Varsity Jacket from McDonald’s Owners, US

MIAMI — Have you ever worked at McDonald’s? According to the fast food giant, 1 in 8 Americans have worked at one of its thousands of locations across the U.S. at some point in their careers. If you have, then you and CBS News Miami’s evening anchor Eliott Rodriguez share something in common. On Wednesday, McDonald’s presented a 1 in 8 In the Crew varsity jacket to Rodriguez for his special connection to the franchise. Owner-operators Emilio and Hilda Cabrera — who are company founders — along with Anthony and Beatriz Cabrera, and Bryan Bentancourt and Stefanie Cabrera-Bentancourt, joined him at the station for the small but intimate ceremony. You may now know him as one of the lead anchors for the 5, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts on CBS News Miami, but you may not know that his first gig was flipping burgers at Mickey D’s. I would ride my bike to work at McDonald’s on weekends and during the summer months when school was out, Rodriguez recalled. At 15 years old, he worked at his local McDonald’s located at 4180 SW 8th St. in Miami, where he learned the work ethic that propelled him to a successful career in the hyper-competitive world of news. I was able to buy my first car — a 1972 Toyota Corolla — thanks to that job, Rodriguez added. Rodriguez, a veteran reporter and anchor with over 40 years of experience in Miami and Philadelphia, has been named Best Anchor by New Times and one of South Florida’s Sharp Dressed Men by Ocean Drive Magazine. He is also a graduate of the University of Miami, a father of four daughters, and an avid tennis player.