Business & brands / Civil rights & activism
Ekrem Bardha
born 1933 · businessman, community leader, honorary consul
Albanian refugee who fled communism in 1953, settled in the Detroit area and became a major McDonald's franchisee and a leading voice of the Albanian American diaspora.
- Born
Radanj, Kolonjë District, Albania
age 93- Detroit years
- 1950s–
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Bardha was born in 1933 in the village of Radanj in southeastern Albania. After his brother was imprisoned for political activity, he fled the communist regime in 1953 and eventually settled in the Detroit area, home to one of the largest Albanian communities in the United States. He built a business career as a McDonald's franchisee, owning 18 restaurants in metro Detroit that grossed more than 25 million dollars a year, and is regarded as one of the most successful Albanians in America. He put much of his energy into the diaspora: he co-founded the National Albanian American Council, owned the Albanian-language newspaper Illyria, lobbied in Washington for Albanian and Kosovar causes, and serves as Albania's honorary consul in Michigan. He has written two books, Far Yet Near Albania and The Albanian-American Diaspora and the Independence of Kosova (2023).
Highlights
- Fled communist Albania in 1953
- Owned 18 McDonald's restaurants in metro Detroit
- Co-founder of the National Albanian American Council
- Albania's honorary consul in Michigan
- Former owner of the newspaper Illyria