Reginald “Reggie” Webb (Courtesy photo)

Reginald “Reggie” Webb, a philanthropist and one of the most successful fast-food restaurant owners in Southern California, was laid to rest last month after a long battle with leukemia. He was 76. 

 According to California State University, San Bernadino​​, Webb owned and operated 16 McDonald’s restaurants, employing over 1,100 workers. His expertise in business and passion for community involvement led to the creation of Webb Family Investments and Cooperative Economic Empowerment Movement, which provided support for Black-owned businesses as a means to build and circulate capital within the Black community.  

 Webb once led the National Black McDonald’s Operator Association, chaired the National Leadership Council, and was the founding chairperson of the Global Operator Leadership Council, representing McDonald’s franchisees worldwide. 

 Webb was a committed supporter of California State University San Bernardino Black Faculty Staff and Student Association Pioneer Breakfast, a program that raises scholarship funds for Black students, according to CSUSB. He also raised funding for the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches’ annual Martin Luther King breakfast at Cal State San Bernardino.  

He received the 365Black Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 in recognition of achievements of importance that bonded the African American community.