Lifestyle Food Lil Yachty, a Former McDonald's Worker, Surprises Employees and Dusts Off His McChicken Skills Lil Yachty partnered up with McDonald's to thank their crew members: "Been a minute since I made a McChicken!" he said during the visit By Stephanie Wenger Stephanie Wenger Instagram Twitter Stephanie Wenger is a TV Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. She joined the brand in 2021 as digital news writer, spanning across the site's verticals. She previously contributed to E! Online, HollywoodLife, Discover Los Angeles, Oscar.com and Hollywood.com. She appeared on air at AfterBuzz TV. She began her journalism career as an intern at Good Morning America and Access Hollywood. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor's in communications and received a Master's in journalism from the University of Southern California. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 20, 2022 03:59 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Derek White/Getty for McDonald's Lil Yachty returned to his roots and surprised McDonald's crew members at a restaurant in Atlanta. The rapper, 24, is a former employee of the fast-food giant and he shared a TikTok of himself getting back in the kitchen to make McChicken sandwiches as part of a new partnership with the brand. "I promise y'all I used to do this," he said as he assembled the sandwich. "I'm a little rusty but I got them things on there." Derek White/Getty for McDonald's McDonald's Brings Back Szechuan Sauce for a Limited Time This Month Lil Yachty also showed his gratitude for the workers following his surprise visit. "Been a minute since I made a McChicken! I know how hard @mcdonalds Crew works," he captioned the post. "Appreciate u!" "I just want to send big appreciation to all the crew workers. I once worked at McDonald's so I know what it is like working in that field," he added in the video. "I just want to send a big thank you to everyone out here. Appreciate you hard and heavy." The surprise visit came as part of McDonald's new "Thank You Crew" initiative, which allows customers to recognize McDonald's crew and managers in their local restaurants. These workers will then be rewarded "one-of-a-kind thank-you experiences," according to a press release from the company. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. "I learned a lot working at McDonald's before my music career took off, and this visit brought those memories right back," said Lil Yachty in the release. "I give huge credit to all the McDonald's crew showing up and working hard every single day. They deserve big things, real celebrations, and I'm here for that." The Atlanta employees also appreciated Lil Yachty's surprise visit. Taco Bell Brings Back Their Mexican Pizza After 2-Year Hiatus "This is like the first time I've ever been with any organization that has ever done anything like this for us so kinda feel appreciated," one crew member said in a YouTube video posted by McDonald's. "It actually motivates me more to actually move up from where I am, knowing you can start from the bottom and actually end up on the top," another employee added.