National Party leader Christopher Luxon has done a shift at a Christchurch McDonald's store he worked at three decades ago.
Luxon spent some time behind the counter at Merivale McDonalds on Thursday, assembling burgers, serving soft-serve icecreams at the drive-thru and speaking to customers.
"It is fantastic," he said. "McDonald's, this is where I started working. You learn so much actually in a place like this. You get incredibly well-trained, you learn a lot about customer service and you learn a lot about teamwork. That is what work is all about."
The Opposition leader worked at the store for about three years while a student at Christchurch Boys' High School. It was his first job. He said his time working at the fast food joint set him up well for the rest of his career.
"This experience here at McDonald's served me well at Unilever, it served me well at Air New Zealand, and I learned a lot of things here. It is pretty special to be back.
"It has been 30 years since I have made a soft serve… I did okay on the burger station, less well on the icecream."
Luxon said it is important to "get out and about, and out of Wellington".
"You need to be out connecting with people, understanding what is going on for them and how a government could help them."
He denied he was training for a new job in case National doesn't win next year's election.
"We are putting all our eggs in one basket which is to win next year. I think the way the New Zealand people are feeling about our country going backwards at the moment. We have a lot of work to do, but we are going to not take it for granted."
After he finished speaking to media while on shift, Luxon was shuffled back to his station at the drive-thru.
"Being on the drive-thru is a bit like air traffic control," he said. "There is so much going on. There are some real skilled people here. You have these voices in your ear. You are trying to talk to a customer, assemble what is needed and make sure you get it all right."
Customers were surprised to see who was putting their burger together.
"It's pretty funny. I really like it aye. I hope he remembers how to make [a Big Mac]," one said.
