Jump to content

McDonald's

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Macdonald's)

McDonald's Corporation
Company typePublic
ISINUS5801351017
IndustryFast food restaurants, real estate
FoundedMay 15, 1940; 84 years ago (1940-05-15), in San Bernardino, California, United States
April 15, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-04-15)
(McDonald's Corporation)
FoundersRichard & Maurice McDonald
(original restaurant chain)
Ray Kroc
(McDonald's Corporation)
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
Number of locations
Increase 41,822 restaurants (2023)
Area served
Worldwide (119+ countries)
Key people
Products
RevenueIncrease US$25.49 billion (2023)
Increase US$11.65 billion (2023)
Increase US$8.469 billion (2023)
Total assetsIncrease US$56.15 billion (2023)
Total equityNegative increase −US$4.71 billion (2023)
Number of employees
c. 150,000 (2023)
Websitemcdonalds.com
corporate.mcdonalds.com
Footnotes / references
[a][1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand and later turned the company into a franchise, with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1955, Ray Kroc, a businessman, joined the company as a franchise agent and, in 1961, bought out the McDonald brothers. Previously headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, it moved to nearby Chicago in June 2018.[9][10][11][12] McDonald's is also a real estate company through its ownership of around 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land (which it leases to its franchisees).[13][14]

McDonald's is the world's largest fast food restaurant chain by number of locations,[15] serving over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries[16] in more than 40,000 outlets as of 2021.[17][18] McDonald's is best known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers and french fries, although their menu also includes other items like chicken, fish, fruit, and salads. Their bestselling licensed item is their french fries, followed by the Big Mac.[19] The McDonald's Corporation revenues come from the rent, royalties, and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. McDonald's is the world's second-largest private employer with 1.7 million employees (behind Walmart with 2.3 million employees), the majority of whom work in the restaurant's franchises.[20][21]

McDonald's has been subject to criticism over the health effects of its products and its participation in various legal cases.

History

The oldest operating McDonald's restaurant is the third one built, opened in 1953. It is located at 10207 Lakewood Blvd. at Florence Ave. in Downey, California (at 33°56′50″N 118°07′06″W / 33.9471°N 118.1182°W / 33.9471; -118.1182).

Siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California, on May 15, 1940. The brothers introduced the "Speedee Service System" in 1948, putting into expanded use the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant that predecessor White Castle had put into practice more than two decades earlier.[22][23] The original mascot of McDonald's was a hamburger-headed chef who was referred to as "Speedee".[24] In 1962, the Golden Arches replaced Speedee as the universal mascot.[25] Clown mascot Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 to market the chain to children.[26]

Logo from 1940 until 1948
Logo from 1948 until 1953
Logo from 1953 until 1960

On May 4, 1961, McDonald's first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name "McDonald's" with the description "Drive-In Restaurant Services," which continues to be renewed. By September 13, McDonald's, under the guidance of Ray Kroc, filed for a trademark on a new logo—an overlapping, double-arched "M" symbol. But before the double arches, McDonald's used a single arch for the architecture of their buildings. Although the "Golden Arches" logo appeared in various forms, the present version was not used until November 18, 1968, when the company was granted a U.S. trademark.

The present corporation credits its founding to franchised businessman Ray Kroc on April 15, 1955.[27][additional citation(s) needed] This was the ninth opened McDonald's restaurant overall, although this location was destroyed and rebuilt in 1984.[clarification needed] Kroc was recorded as being an aggressive business partner, driving the McDonald brothers out of the industry.[28]

Kroc and the McDonald brothers fought for control of the business, as documented in Kroc's autobiography. In 1961, he purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and began the company's worldwide reach.[29] The sale cost Kroc $2.7 million, a huge sum during that time.[28] The San Bernardino restaurant was eventually torn down in 1971, and the site was sold to the Juan Pollo chain in 1998. This area serves as headquarters for the Juan Pollo chain, and a McDonald's and Route 66 museum.[30][31] With the expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life.[32] Its prominence has made it a frequent topic of public debates about obesity, corporate ethics, and consumer responsibility.

Products

French fries, a soft drink, McSpicy Chicken Fillet, and tomato ketchup packet

McDonald's predominantly sells hamburgers, various types of chicken, chicken sandwiches, French fries, soft drinks, shakes, breakfast items, and desserts. In most markets, McDonald's offers salads and vegetarian items, wraps and other localized fare. On a seasonal basis, McDonald's offers the McRib sandwich. Some speculate the seasonality of the McRib adds to its appeal.[33] During March of each year, McDonald's offers a Shamrock Shake to honor Saint Patrick's Day.[34]

In addition, the chain also sells some items within the United States on a regional basis; for example, the Hatch Green Chile Double Cheeseburger, which is topped with New Mexico green chile, is only available in the southwestern state of New Mexico.[35][36]

Products are offered as either "dine-in" (where the customer opts to eat in the restaurant) or "take-out" (where the customer opts to take the food off the premises). "Dine-in" meals are provided on a plastic tray with a paper insert on the floor of the tray. "Take-out" meals are usually delivered with the contents enclosed in a distinctive McDonald's-branded brown paper bag. In both cases, the individual items are wrapped or boxed as appropriate.

Since Steve Easterbrook became CEO of the company in 2015, McDonald's has streamlined the menu which in the United States contained nearly 200 items. The company has looked to introduce healthier options and removed high-fructose corn syrup from hamburger buns. The company has removed artificial preservatives from Chicken McNuggets,[37] replacing chicken skin, safflower oil and citric acid found in Chicken McNuggets with pea starch, rice starch, and powdered lemon juice.[38]

In September 2018, McDonald's USA announced that they no longer use artificial preservatives, flavors and colors entirely from seven classic burgers sold in the U.S., including the hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, McDouble, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, double Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the Big Mac.[39][40] Nevertheless, the pickles will still be made with an artificial preservative, although customers can choose to opt out of getting pickles with their burgers.[41][42]

In November 2020, McDonald's announced McPlant, a plant-based burger, along with plans to develop additional meat alternative menu items that extend to chicken substitutes and breakfast sandwiches.[43][44] This announcement came after the successful testing of Beyond Meat plant based meat substitutes. In late 2022, McDonald's announced the addition of the Double McPlant at all restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland starting January 4 due to the success of the McPlant.[45] In 2024, select McDonald's in the UK were testing vegan ice cream called Choco Scoop and Strawberry Scoop and receiving positive reviews.[46]

The company often introduces items temporarily or brings them back after long absences.[47][48]

International menu variations

A Croque McDo from France

McDonald's Menu is customized to reflect consumer tastes in their respective countries. Restaurants in several countries, particularly in Asia, serve soup. This local deviation from the standard menu is a characteristic for which the chain is particularly known and one which is employed either to abide by regional food taboos (such as the religious prohibition of beef consumption in India) or to make available foods with which the regional market is more familiar (such as the sale of McRice in Indonesia, or Ebi (prawn) Burger in Singapore and Japan). McDonald's restaurants in China include fried buns and soybean milk on their breakfast menus.[49]

In Germany and some other Western European countries, McDonald's sells beer. In New Zealand, until 2020, McDonald's sold meat pies after local affiliate McDonald's New Zealand partially relaunched the Georgie Pie fast food chain it bought out in 1996.[50] In Greece, the signature hamburger, Big Mac, is changed by adding Tzatziki sauce and packaging in a pita.[51]

In the United States and Canada, after limited trials on a regional basis, McDonald's began offering in 2015[52] and 2017,[53] respectively, a partial breakfast menu during all hours its restaurants were open. All-day breakfast was phased out from menus at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[54]

In partnership with the Central Food Technological Research Institute in India, McDonald's has introduced millet-based buns on September 4, 2024. Three major (Pearl millet, Sorghum, and Finger millet) and two minor (Proso and Paspalum scrobiculatum) millets are used which makes up 22% of the bun. It provides more calcium, iron, and protein in addition to a small amount of complex carbs to aid in satiety more quickly.[55]

McDonald's operations in the United States

There are over 36,000 McDonald's restaurants globally. Over a third of these (14,146 restaurants) are in the United States alone. The second highest number is in Japan, with 2,975 restaurants, followed by China, with 2,700. These three countries make up the majority of global McDonald's stores.

McDonald's was forced to maintain pre-existing exterior of the house at their location in Freeport, Maine.

Types

In the United States, most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both counter service and drive-through service, with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating.[56] Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and Drive, or "McDrive" as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying for, and picking up orders while the customer remains in their vehicle;[56] it was first introduced in Sierra Vista, Arizona in 1975,[57] following the lead of other fast-food chains. The first such restaurant in Britain opened at Fallowfield, Manchester, in 1986.[58]

In 1994, McDonald's attempted Hearth Express, a prototype specializing in homestyle takeout meals. Among the fare offered were meatloaf, fried chicken, and baked ham. This experiment started with a single location in Darien, Illinois but closed in only one year.[59]

McDrive

In some countries, McDrive locations near highways offer no counter service or seating.[60] In contrast, locations in high-density city neighborhoods often omit drive-through service.[61] There are also a few locations, mostly in downtown districts, that offer a "Walk-Thru" service in place of Drive-Thru.[62]

McCafé

McCafé is a café-style accompaniment to McDonald's restaurants. The concept was created by McDonald's Australia, starting with Melbourne in 1993.[63]

"Create Your Taste" restaurants

From 2015 to 2016, McDonald's tried a more flexible burger service and restaurant concept based on other restaurants such as Shake Shack and Grill'd. It was rolled out for the first time in Australia in early 2015 and expanded to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Arabia, and New Zealand, with ongoing trials in the US market. In dedicated "Create Your Taste" (CYT) kiosks, customers could choose all ingredients, including the type of bun and meat, along with optional extras. CYT food was served to the table on wooden boards, fries in wire baskets, and salads in china bowls with metal cutlery at a higher price. In November 2016, Create Your Taste was replaced by a "Signature Crafted Recipes" program designed to be more efficient and less expensive.[64]

PlayPlaces

A McDonald's in Panorama City, Los Angeles, California with a Playplace designed to promote a family-friendly image

McDonald's playgrounds are called PlayPlaces. Some McDonald's in suburban areas and certain cities feature large indoor or outdoor playgrounds. The first PlayPlace with the familiar crawl-tube design with ball pits and slides was introduced in 1987 in the US, with many more being constructed soon after.[citation needed]

McDonald's Next

McDonald's Next uses open-concept design and offers "Create Your Taste" digital ordering. The concept store also offers free mobile device charging and table service after 6:00 pm. The first store opened in Hong Kong in December 2015.[65]

Other

Some locations are connected to gas stations and convenience stores,[66] while others called McExpress have limited seating or menu or may be located in a shopping mall. Other McDonald's are located in Walmart stores. McStop is a location targeted at truckers and travelers who may have services found at truck stops.[67]

In Sweden, Happy Meal boxes can be used as goggles,[68] with the game Slope Stars.[68] In the Netherlands, McDonald's has introduced McTrax that doubles as a recording studio; it reacts to touch.[68] They can create their own beats with a synth and tweak sounds with special effects.[68]

On the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, is the world's only "McBoat," a float-through service (similar to drive-through) for people on the river.[69]

2006 redesign

An American McDonald's in Franklin, North Carolina, in 2024; it is an example of the "new" look of American McDonald's restaurants.

In 2006, McDonald's introduced its "Forever Young" brand by redesigning all of its restaurants, the first significant redesign since the 1970s.[70][71] It resembles a coffee shop, with wooden tables, faux-leather chairs, and muted colors; the red was muted to terracotta, the yellow was shifted to golden for a more "sunny" look, and olive and sage green were added. The warmer look has less plastic and more brick and wood, with modern hanging lights for a softer glow. Many restaurants feature free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. Other upgrades include double drive-thrus, flat roofs instead of the angled red roofs, and fiberglass instead of wood. Instead of the familiar golden arches, the restaurants feature "semi-swooshes" (half of a golden arch), similar to the Nike swoosh.[72]

Smoking ban

McDonald's began banning smoking in 1994 when it restricted customers from smoking within its 1,400 wholly owned restaurants.[73]

COVID-19 pandemic

A curbside pickup at a McDonald's drive-thru during the COVID-19 pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's closed most seating and all play areas in its United States restaurants.[74] It transitioned to drive-thru and curbside orders at locations and online food ordering delivery services.[75] In July 2020, for the year's second quarter, McDonald's reported earnings of 66 cents per share. Compared to the same period of last year, it represented a fall of 68%.[76]

2023 redesign and new concept

In July 2023, the company announced it was working towards a new fast-food brand called CosMc's that would be tested at ten sites. The first location was opened in December 2023 in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and the company is working to open nine restaurants in Texas by the end of 2024 as a test. The outlets will have a smaller real-estate footprint than regular McDonald's restaurants and are focused on selling coffee and other drinks to afternoon customers.[77]

The name for the new brand comes from CosMc, a McDonaldland mascot that appeared in advertisements in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[78][79]

2024 quarter pounder E.coli outbreak

In October 2024, an E. coli outbreak occurred associated with contaminated Quarter Pounder burgers from McDonald's.[80] As of October 30, one person died, 27 were hospitalized, and 90 were sickened across 13 US states.[81]

McDonald's employee relations in the United States

A kiosk for placing orders at the Denton House McDonald's in New Hyde Park on Long Island, New York

Automation

Since the late 1990s, McDonald's has attempted to replace employees with electronic kiosks that would perform actions such as taking orders and accepting money. In 1999, McDonald's first tested "E-Clerks" in suburban Chicago, Illinois, and Wyoming, Michigan, with the devices being able to "save money on live staffers" and attracting larger purchase amounts than average employees.[82]

In 2013, the University of Oxford estimated that in the succeeding decades, there was a 92% probability of food preparation and serving becoming automated in fast food establishments.[83] By 2016, McDonald's "Create Your Taste" electronic kiosks were seen in some restaurants internationally where customers could custom order meals.[84]

In 2017, McDonald's launched an app in the United States that allows customers to skip the ordering line inside or drive through and order online. Many McDonald's locations have special parking spaces for such orders.[85]

In September 2019, McDonald's purchased an AI-based start-up, Apprente, to replace human servers with voice-based technology in its US drive-throughs.[86]

In early 2023, McDonald's opened its first largely automated restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. The restaurant in question would de-emphasize human contact when ordering, with employees available if there were problems but who would otherwise be absent from the ordering process (along with others working in the kitchen or other back-of-the-house roles). There was no seating in this restaurant.[87][88]

Wages

On August 5, 2013, The Guardian revealed that 90 percent of McDonald's UK workforce are on zero-hour contracts, making it possibly the largest such private sector employer in the country.[89] In April 2017, due to employee strikes, they gave all employees the option of fixed contracts instead.[90] A study released by Fast Food Forward conducted by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research showed that approximately 84 percent of all fast food employees working in New York City in April 2013 had been paid less than their legal wages by their employers.[91] From 2007 to 2011, fast food workers in the U.S. drew an average of $7firstbillion of public assistance annually resulting from receiving low wages.[92] The McResource website advised employees to break their food into smaller pieces to feel fuller, seek refunds for unopened holiday purchases, sell possessions online for quick cash, and "quit complaining" as "stress hormone levels rise by 15 percent after ten minutes of complaining."[93] In December 2013, McDonald's shut down the McResource website amidst negative publicity and criticism. McDonald's plans to continue an internal telephone help line through which its employees can obtain advice on work and life problems.[94] The Roosevelt Institute, a liberal think tank, accuses some McDonald's restaurants of actually paying less than the minimum wage to entry positions due to "rampant" wage theft.[95] In South Korea, McDonald's pays part-time employees $5.50 an hour and is accused of paying less with arbitrary schedule adjustments and pay delays.[96] McDonald's former CEO, Steve Easterbrook, earned an annual salary of $1,100,000.[97]

Strikes

Fast food workers on strike outside of a McDonald's in St. Paul, Minnesota

In September 2017, two British McDonald's stores agreed to a strike over zero-hours contracts for staff. Picket lines were formed around the two stores in Crayford and Cambridge. The strike was supported by then Leader of the Opposition Jeremy Corbyn.[98][99]

Occupation

Workers at the McDonald's franchise at Saint-Barthélémy, Marseille, occupied the restaurant in protest against its planned closure. Employing 77 people, the restaurant is the second-biggest private sector employer in Saint-Barthélémy, which has an unemployment rate of 30 percent.[100] Lawyers for Kamel Guemari, a shop steward at the franchise, claimed an attempt was made to kill him when a car drove at him in the restaurant car park.[101][102]

Working conditions

In March 2015, McDonald's workers in 19 U.S. cities filed 28 health and safety complaints with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which allege that low staffing, lack of protective gear, poor training, and pressure to work fast resulted in injuries. The complaints allege that, because of a lack of first aid supplies, workers were told by management to treat burn injuries with condiments such as mayonnaise and mustard.[103] The Fight for $15 labor organization aided the workers in filing the complaints.[104]

Animal welfare

Throughout 2014, the Facebook page for McDonald's Australia was inundated with posts about McDonald's use of caged eggs. For 87 consecutive days during mid-2014, the most common theme on the McDonald's Facebook wall was concern for hens. By September 2014, McDonald's heeded the criticism and declared they would strive to eliminate caged eggs by 2017.[105] By January 2018, McDonald's accounced they had succeeded in meeting their goal.[106]

In 2015, McDonald's pledged to stop using eggs from battery cage facilities by 2025 for all American restaurants. McDonald's met their goal nearly two years ahead of schedule, announcing the successful elimination of caged eggs in February 2024.[107]

Since McDonald's purchases over 2 billion eggs per year or 4 percent of eggs produced in the United States, the switch is expected to have a major impact on the egg industry. It is part of a general trend toward cage-free eggs driven by consumer concern over the harsh living conditions of hens.[108][109] The aviary systems from which the new eggs will be sourced are troubled by much higher mortality rates, as well as introducing environmental and worker safety problems.[110] The high hen mortality rate, which is more than double that of battery cage systems, will require new research to mitigate. The facilities have higher ammonia levels because feces are kicked into the air. Producers raised concerns about the production cost, which is expected to increase by 36 percent.[111]

McDonald's continues to source pork from facilities that use gestation crates, and in 2012 pledged to phase them out.[112][113][needs update]

McDonald's has been the subject of animal rights activism. In 2021, Animal Rising blockaded four UK distribution centers using bamboo towers, leading to food shortages at restaurants.[114] They cited "suffering of animals" in the McDonald's supply chain as one motivating factor.[115]

Corporate overview

Facts and figures

Corporate logo used from 1960 until November 18, 1968
Corporate logo used from November 18, 1968, until 2003
Corporate logo used from 1993 to 2010
Corporate logo on red background with the wordmark, used in the 1990s and 2000s
By 1993, McDonald's had sold more than 100 billion hamburgers, causing two-digit signs to be left at "99 billion".[116]

McDonald's restaurants are in 120 countries and territories and serve 68 million customers daily.[117][118] There are 37,855 restaurants worldwide, employing more than 210,000 people as of the end of 2018.[17][18][117] There are a total of 2,770 company-owned locations and 35,085 franchised locations, which includes 21,685 locations franchised to conventional franchisees, 7,225 locations licensed to developmental licensees, and 6,175 locations licensed to foreign affiliates.[17][18]

Focusing on its core brand, McDonald's began divesting itself of other chains it had acquired during the 1990s. The company owned a majority stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill until October 2006, when McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange.[119][120] Until December 2003, it owned Donatos Pizza, and it owned a small share of Aroma Café, from 1999 to 2001. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's sold Boston Market to Sun Capital Partners.[121]

McDonald's has increased shareholder dividends for 25 consecutive years,[122] making it one of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.[123] The company is ranked 131st on the Fortune 500 of the largest United States corporations by revenue.[124] In October 2012, its monthly sales fell for the first time in nine years.[125] In 2014, its quarterly sales fell for the first time in seventeen years, when its sales dropped for the entirety of 1997.[126]

In the United States, it is reported that drive-throughs account for 70 percent of sales.[127][128] McDonald's closed down 184 restaurants in the United States in 2015, which was 59 more than what they planned to open.[129][130] This move was the first time McDonald's had a net decrease in the number of locations in the United States since 1970.[130]

The McDonald's on-demand delivery concept, which began in 2017 with a partnership with Uber Eats and added DoorDash in 2019 (with select locations adding Grubhub in 2021), accounts for up to 3% of all business as of 2019.[131]

The $100 billion in sales generated by McDonald's company-owned and franchise restaurants in 2019 accounts for almost 4% of the estimated $2.5 trillion global restaurant industry.[132]

The key trends for the McDonald's Corp. are (as of the financial year ending December 31):[133][134]

Year Revenue
in billion US$
Net income
in billion US$
Total assets
in billion US$
Locations
[135]
Employees
(k)[136][137]
Ref.
2005 19.1 2.6 29.9 447 [138]
2006 20.8 3.5 28.9 31,046 465 [138]
2007 22.7 2.3 29.3 31,377 390 [138]
2008 23.5 4.3 28.4 31,967 400 [139]
2009 22.7 4.5 30.2 32,478 385 [140]
2010 24.0 4.9 31.9 32,737 400 [141]
2011 27.0 5.5 32.9 33,510 420 [142]
2012 27.5 5.4 35.3 34,480 440 [143]
2013 28.1 5.5 36.6 35,429 440 [144]
2014 27.4 4.7 34.2 36,258 420 [145]
2015 25.4 4.5 37.9 36,525 420 [146]
2016 24.6 4.6 31.0 36,899 375 [147]
2017 22.8 5.1 33.8 37,241 235 [148]
2018 21.0 5.9 32.8 37,855 210 [149]
2019 21.0 6.0 47.5 38,695 205 [150]
2020 19.2 4.7 52.6 39,198 200 [151]
2021 23.2 7.5 53.6 40,031 200 [152][5]
2022 23.1 6.1 50.4 40,275 150 [153]
2023 25.4 8.4 56.1 41,822 150

Business model

Ray Kroc joined the chain in 1954 and built it into a global franchise, making it the most successful fast food corporation in the world.

The company owns all the land on which its restaurants are situated, which is valued at an estimated $16 to $18 billion.[citation needed] The company earns a significant portion of its revenue from rental payments from franchisees. These rent payments rose 26 percent between 2010 and 2015, accounting for one-fifth of the company's total revenue at the end of the period.[154] In recent times, there have been calls to spin off the company's U.S. holdings into a potential real estate investment trust, but the company announced at its investor conference on November 10, 2015, that this would not happen. CEO Steve Easterbrook discussed that pursuing the REIT option would pose too large a risk to the company's business model.[155]

The United Kingdom and Ireland business model differs from the U.S. in that fewer than 30 percent of restaurants are franchised, with the majority under the company's ownership. McDonald's trains its franchisees and management at Hamburger University at its Chicago headquarters.[156][157] In other countries, McDonald's restaurants are operated by joint ventures of McDonald's Corporation and other, local entities or governments.[158]

According to Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2001), nearly one in eight workers in the U.S. have at some time been employed by McDonald's. Employees are encouraged by McDonald's Corp. to maintain their health by singing along to their favorite songs to relieve stress, attending church services to have a lower blood pressure, and taking two vacations annually to reduce the risk for myocardial infarction.[159] Fast Food Nation states that McDonald's is the largest private operator of playgrounds in the U.S., as well as the single largest purchaser of beef, pork, potatoes, and apples. The selection of meats McDonald's uses varies to some extent based on the host country's culture.[160]

In 2021, the company cut value meals and cheaper items from its menu as part of a focus on higher-priced items.[161][162]

Headquarters

On June 13, 2016, McDonald's confirmed plans to move its global headquarters to Chicago's West Loop neighborhood in the Near West Side. The 608,000-square-foot structure opened on June 4, 2018, and was built on the former site of Harpo Productions (where The Oprah Winfrey Show and several other Harpo productions taped).[9][10]

The McDonald's former headquarters complex, McDonald's Plaza, is in Oak Brook, Illinois. It sits on the site of the former headquarters and stabling area of Paul Butler, the founder of Oak Brook.[163] McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within the Chicago Loop in 1971.[164]

Board of directors

As of February 2021, the board of directors had the following members:[165]

On March 1, 2015, after being chief brand officer of McDonald's and its former head in the UK and northern Europe, Steve Easterbrook became CEO, succeeding Don Thompson, who stepped down on January 28, 2015.[citation needed]

In November 2019, McDonald's board of directors voted to remove Easterbrook as CEO since he had violated corporate policies on personal conduct by entering into a relationship with a company employee.[166] He was replaced as CEO by Chris Kempczinski, who had been president of McDonald's USA.[167]

In August 2022, McDonald's announced significant changes to its board. It said that existing director Sheila Penrose, chair of JLL Inc., would retire and that Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott International, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals Jennifer Taubert of Johnson & Johnson, and Amy Weaver president and CFO of Salesforce would join. The changes were unrelated to an effort by activist investor Carl Icahn.[168][169][170]

Ownership

The ten largest shareholders of McDonald's on December 30, 2023, were:[171]

Shareholder name Percentage
The Vanguard Group 9.56%
BlackRock 7.19%
State Street Corporation 4.82%
JP Morgan Chase 2.28%
Geode Capital Management 2.05%
Bank of America 1.96%
Morgan Stanley 1.86%
Wellington Management Company 1.63%
Norges Bank 1.25%
Northern Trust 1.23%
Others 66.17%

Global operations

Countries with McDonald's restaurants, showing their first year with its first restaurant
A McDonald's restaurant located in an Art Nouveau building in Subotica, Serbia

McDonald's has become emblematic of globalization, sometimes referred to as the "McDonaldization" of society. The Economist newspaper uses the "Big Mac Index": the comparison of the cost of a Big Mac in various world currencies can be used to informally judge these currencies' purchasing power parity. Switzerland has the most expensive Big Mac in the world as of July 2015, while the country with the least expensive Big Mac is India[172][173] (albeit for a Maharaja Mac—the next cheapest Big Mac is Hong Kong).[174] The northernmost McDonald's restaurant in the world is located in Rovaniemi, Finland (after the restaurant in Murmansk, Russia was closed in 2022),[175] however from January 2024 this will change again as McDonald's is opening a new restaurant in Tromsø, Norway.[176] And the southernmost in the world is located in Invercargill, New Zealand.[177][non-primary source needed]

Thomas Friedman said that no country with a McDonald's had gone to war with another;[178][179] however, the "Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention" is incorrect. Exceptions are the 1989 United States invasion of Panama, NATO's bombing of Serbia in 1999, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2008 South Ossetia war—McDonald's suspended operations in its corporate-owned stores in Crimea after Russia annexed the region in 2014.[180] On August 20, 2014, as tensions between the United States and Russia strained over the Russian annexation of Crimea, and the resultant U.S. sanctions, the Russian government temporarily shut down four McDonald's outlets in Moscow, citing sanitary concerns. The company has operated in Russia since 1990 and, in August 2014, had 438 stores across the country.[181] On August 23, 2014, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich ruled out any government move to ban McDonald's and dismissed the notion that the temporary closures had anything to do with the sanctions.[182]

Some observers have suggested that the company should be given credit for increasing the service standard in markets it enters. A group of anthropologists in a study entitled Golden Arches East[183] looked at McDonald's impact on East Asia and Hong Kong, particularly. When it opened in Hong Kong in 1975, McDonald's was the first restaurant to consistently offer clean restrooms, driving customers to demand the same of other restaurants and institutions. McDonald's has partnered with Sinopec, the second largest oil company in the People's Republic of China, as it takes advantage of the country's growing use of personal vehicles by opening numerous drive-thru restaurants.[184]

In Beijing, China, McDonald's restaurants are state-owned enterprises operating according to franchise agreements.[185] Beijing Capital Agricultural Group owns these franchises.[185]

McDonald's has opened a McDonald's restaurant and McCafé on the underground premises of the French fine arts museum, The Louvre.[186]

The company stated it would open vegetarian-only restaurants in India by mid-2013.[187][needs update]

On January 9, 2017, 80% of the franchise rights in mainland China and Hong Kong were sold for US$2.08 billion to a consortium of CITIC Limited (for 32%). Private equity funds managed by CITIC Capital (for 20%) and Carlyle (for 20%), which CITIC Limited and CITIC Capital would form a joint venture to own the stake.[188]

On March 8, 2022, McDonald's temporarily closed their 850 locations in Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, but will continue to pay the salary for 62,000 employees. Approximately nine percent of global revenue and three percent of operating profit come from Russia and 100 locations in Ukraine.[189][190][191]

On May 16, 2022, McDonald's announced that the closures would become permanent and that it was selling all its 850 stores in Russia. Furthermore, 32 years after McDonald's entered the Soviet market, the American giant wants its current business to be "de-Arched," the company plans to retain its trademarks in Russia, meaning the locations would no longer be allowed to use the McDonald's name, logo, or menu. McDonald's also said it would continue to pay its Russian employees until the sale is finalized. The company has more than 60,000 Russian employees.[192][193][194]

On June 10, 2022, a Russian McDonald's buyer announced a new logo as an attempt at rebranding. It featured one circle and two lines representing a burger and two french fries.[195] The business was rebranded as Vkusno i tochka, which roughly translates to "Tasty – Period."[196][197][198]

McDonald's will reopen its stores in Ukraine after closing them in February in non-contested areas like Kyiv and Western Ukraine. During the closure, McDonald's continued paying its employees, numbering some 10,000. Before the conflict, Ukraine had approximately 109 restaurants; it is unclear how many will reopen.[199]

On November 11, 2022, McDonald's in Belarus announced that all 25 stores in 6 cities would rebrand and operate as Vkusno i tochka "in several weeks."[200]

In Kazakhstan, McDonald's suspended operations in November 2022 due to the impossibility of supplying minced meat from Russia. The franchise was transferred to Food Solutions KZ, after which the restaurants first changed their name to "We are open" (Біз ашықпыз); in August 2023, they were renamed in honor of the best employees, and in November 2023 the final rebranding was carried out. The network is now called I'M, with a heart sign used instead of a dot over the I.[201]

Marketing and advertising

McDonald's has maintained an extensive advertising campaign for decades. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of billboards and signage. Also, it sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.[202] Television has been central to the company's advertising strategy.[203] To date, McDonald's has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising, as well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions.[204]

Children's advertising

Celebrity endorsements

In 1992, basketball player Michael Jordan became the first celebrity to have a McDonald's value meal named after him. The "McJordan," a Quarter Pounder with pickles, raw onion slices, bacon, and barbecue sauce, was available at Chicago franchises.[205]

In March 2014, a unique "Sprite 6 Mix by LeBron James" flavor of Sprite featuring the flavors of lemon-lime, orange, and cherry debuted just before the NBA playoffs.[206] James' endorsement of Sprite has also included the seasonal "cranberry" and "winter-spiced cranberry" editions of the beverage. James' deal with Coca-Cola and Sprite ended in 2020, with a new partnership with Pepsi and Mountain Dew launching in 2021.[207]

In September 2020, McDonald's partnered with rapper Travis Scott to release the "Travis Scott Meal," a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickles, ketchup, and mustard; medium fries with barbecue sauce; and a Sprite, nationwide. Scott designed new uniforms for McDonald's employees and released Cactus Jack merchandise using vintage visuals from the fast food chain's history.[208] The company followed up with the "J Balvin Meal", a Big Mac with no pickles; fries with ketchup; and an Oreo McFlurry, in a partnership with reggaeton singer J Balvin.[209] LeBron James was a spokesman for McDonald's from 2003 to 2017[210] while co-endorsing Coca-Cola-Sprite since early in his career.[211]

In 2021, McDonald's partnered with Korean boy group BTS to release the "BTS Meal" in 50 countries around the world, starting on May 26 in select countries. The meal consists of a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, medium Coke, and for the first time in the United States, two spicy dipping sauces: Sweet Chili and Cajun.[212]

Space exploration

McDonald's and NASA explored an advertising agreement for a planned mission to the asteroid 449 Hamburga; however, the spacecraft was eventually canceled.[213]

Sponsorship in NASCAR

The McDonald's-sponsored car of Jamie McMurray in 2016
Bubba Wallace in a McDonald's-sponsored racing suit in 2022

McDonald's entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 1977, sponsoring Richard Childress for one race. Between the years 1977 and 1986, McDonald's would only sponsor a handful of races in a season. In 1993, McDonald's became the full-time sponsor for the No. 27 Junior Johnson & Associates Ford, driven by Hut Stricklin.[214] In 1994, Stricklin was replaced in the car by Jimmy Spencer, who would go on to win twice that season. The following season McDonald's would move over to the No. 94 Bill Elliott Racing Ford, driven by team-owner Bill Elliott.[215] McDonald's stayed with Elliott until the 2001 season when they moved again, this time to the No. 96 PPI Motorsports Ford, driven by rookie Andy Houston. However, when the team failed to field a car for the entire season, McDonald's became absent from NASCAR until 2004, when it joined Evernham Motorsports as a part-time sponsor for drivers Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, A. J. Allmendinger, and Reed Sorenson until 2010.[214]

During the 2010 season, McDonald's would enter its longest partnership with a team at Chip Ganassi Racing, sponsoring the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray until his final race in the 2019 Daytona 500.[216][217] McDonald's moved to CGR's No. 42 of Kyle Larson, whom the company sponsored until his suspension in 2020,[218] and also had a one-race partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Bubba Wallace in 2019 and 2020.[219][220] McDonald's continued working with the No. 42 under new driver Ross Chastain in 2021 and also joined Wallace's new team 23XI Racing as a "founding partner".[221][222]

Sports awards and honors

McDonald's is the title sponsor of the McDonald's All-American Game, an all-star basketball game played each year for the top-ranked amateur boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates in America.

Charity

McHappy Day

A Ronald McDonald House collection box in Framingham, Massachusetts

McHappy Day is an annual event at McDonald's, during which a percentage of the day's sales go to charity. It is the signature fundraising event for Ronald McDonald House Charities.[223]

In 2007, it was celebrated in 17 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Uruguay.

According to the Australian McHappy Day website, McHappy Day raised $20.4 million in 2009. The goal for 2010 was $20.8 million.[224]

McDonald's Monopoly donation

In 1995, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received an anonymous letter postmarked in Dallas, Texas, containing a $1 million winning McDonald's Monopoly game piece. McDonald's officials came to the hospital, accompanied by a representative from the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, who examined the card under a jeweler's eyepiece, handled it with plastic gloves, and verified it as a winner.[225] Although game rules prohibited the transfer of prizes, McDonald's waived the rule. They made the annual $50,000 annuity payments for the entire 20-year period through 2014, even after learning that the piece was sent by an individual involved in an embezzlement scheme intended to defraud McDonald's.

McRefugee

McRefugees are poor people in Hong Kong, Japan, and China who use McDonald's 24-hour restaurants as a temporary hostel.[226]

Criticism

McDonald's has been criticized for numerous aspects of its business, including its products' health effects, employees' treatment, and other business practices. In the late 1980s, Phil Sokolof, a millionaire businessman who had suffered a heart attack at the age of 43, took out full-page newspaper ads in New York, Chicago, and other large cities accusing McDonald's menu of being a threat to American health and asking them to stop using beef tallow to cook their french fries.[227]

In 1990, activists from a small group known as London Greenpeace (no connection to the international group Greenpeace) distributed leaflets entitled What's wrong with McDonald's?, criticizing its environmental, health, and labor record. The corporation wrote to the group demanding they desist and apologize, and, when two of the activists refused to back down, sued them for libel leading to the "McLibel case," one of the longest cases in English civil law. A documentary film of the McLibel Trial has been shown in several countries.[228]

In 2001, Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation included criticism of the business practices of McDonald's, particularly concerning its use of political influence and targeting advertisements to children.[229] In 2002, vegetarian groups, largely Hindu and Buddhist, successfully sued McDonald's for misrepresenting its french fries as vegetarian, when they contained beef broth.[230]

Critical terms such as "McJob" and "McMansion" have been added to dictionaries.[231][232]

Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film Super Size Me claimed that McDonald's food was contributing to the increase of obesity in society and that the company was failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers. Six weeks after the film premiered, McDonald's announced that it was eliminating the super size option and was creating the adult Happy Meal.

Litterstudies have found McDonald's is one of the most littered brands worldwide. In 2012, a Keep Australia Beautiful study found that McDonald's was the most littered brand in Queensland.[233][234]

In response to public pressure, McDonald's has sought to include more healthy choices in its menu, announcing in May 2008 that, in the United States and Canada, it has switched to using cooking oil that contains no trans fats for its french fries, and canola-based oil with corn and soy oils, for its baked items, pies, and cookies, by the end of 2018.[235] The company introduced a new slogan to its recruitment posters: "Not bad for a McJob."[236]

Pro-Palestinian protest in Ottawa, Canada, 23 November 2023

Since McDonald's began receiving criticism for its environmental practices in the 1970s, it has significantly reduced its use of materials.[237]

Amidst the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, as the Israeli blockade restricted supplies to Gaza, McDonald's in Israel faced condemnation for providing free meals to the Israel Defense Forces, who were accused of engaging in war crimes against Palestinians.[238][239][240][241] The hashtag #BoycottMcDonalds gained worldwide traction on social media.[242] There were also large gathering outside restaurants in Lebanon and Egypt protesting the move. McDonald's in other countries, like Turkey and Pakistan, distanced themselves from the Israeli brand.[243][244]

In January 2024, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged the public outcry, stating, "Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associated misinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald's."[245] As a result of the boycott, McDonald's bought all 225 Israeli franchise-owned restaurants.[246][247]

McDonald's has been involved in several lawsuits and other legal cases, most involving trademark disputes. The company has threatened many food businesses with legal action unless it drops the 'Mc' or 'Mac' from trading names.

European Union

In April 2017, Irish fast-food chain Supermac's submitted a request to the European Union Property Office to cancel McDonald's owned trademarks within the European Union, claiming that McDonald's engaged in "trademark bullying; registering brand names... which are simply stored away in a war chest to use against future competitors", after the trademarks had prevented Supermac's from expanding out of Ireland. The EUIPO ruled in Supermac's favor, finding that McDonald's "has not proven genuine use" of many trademarks, canceling McDonald's owned trademarks such as "Big Mac" and specific "Mc"-related trademarks within the European Union.[248][249][250]

Burger King responded by "trolling" McDonald's by giving their burgers names that included the words "Big Mac" that also mocked the original burger, which included "Like a Big Mac But Juicier," "Like a Big Mac, But Actually Big" and "Big Mac-ish But Flame-Grilled of Course."[251]

In 2023, the EUIPO Board of Appeal partially annulled their decision after McDonald's filed 700 pages of additional evidence despite objections.[252] However, on further appeal to the European Court of Justice, the court ruled in 2024 that McDonald's had failed to prove the use of the Big Mac trademark in relation to chicken products or services associated with operating restaurants, meaning Supermac's and other businesses are now free to use the "Mac" in their business names and in names for poultry products in Europe. McDonald's retains the Big Mac trademark solely for its beef burgers.[253][254][255]

The McDonald's group has had proceedings taken against it by the French Tax Authorities, with possible charges of criminal tax fraud. In July 2022, the group reached an agreement with the French judicial authorities to end criminal proceedings for tax fraud.[256]

Malaysia

On September 8, 2009, McDonald's Malaysian operations lost a lawsuit to prevent another restaurant from calling itself McCurry. McDonald's lost in an appeal to Malaysia's highest court, the Federal Court.[257] On December 29, 2016, McDonald's Malaysia issued a statement that said only certified halal cakes are allowed inside its restaurants nationwide.[258]

Australia

In April 2007, in Perth, Western Australia, McDonald's pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the employment of children under 15 in one of its outlets and was fined A$8,000.[259]

United Kingdom

The longest-running legal action of all time in the UK was the McLibel case against two defendants who criticized several aspects of the company. The trial lasted ten years and called 130 witnesses. The European Court of Human Rights deemed that the unequal resources of the litigants breached the defendants' rights to freedom of speech and biased the trial. The result was widely seen as a "PR disaster" for McDonald's.[260]

In the end of November 2013, controversy arose after the Rucka Rucka Ali song "Only 17", a parody of "Just a Dream" by Nelly, was accidentally played uncensored over the speakers at a McDonald's restaurant in Wales. Subsequently, McDonald's issued an apology to the offended customers.[261][262]

In 2021, it emerged that at least 50 employees had filed charges against the chains regarding harassment in the workplace in five years, leading to the company instituting anti-harassment training. Some of the complainants also stated that they were verbally and physically harassed in retaliation for their complaints.[263] In 2023, the BBC conducted an investigation, and reported that more than 100 current and recent UK workers at outlets of the fast-food chain allege there is a continuing toxic culture of sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying.[264]

United States

The 1994 court case Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants examined a McDonald's practice of serving coffee so hot that when spilled, it caused third degree burns requiring weeks of hospitalization and skin grafting surgery.[265] The trial outcome was an award of $2.86 million (equivalent to $5.33 million in 2023) for the plaintiff, 81-year old Stella Liebeck.[265] The amount was later reduced to $640,000 (equivalent to $1.2 million in 2023). In 2019, a McDonald's employee, Jenna Ries, sued the restaurant chain over allowing sexual harassment in the workplace and described the working environment as "toxic".[266]

In 2023, an investigation by the United States Department of Labor found child labor violations at McDonald's franchises in the state of Kentucky, which involved over 300 children, two of them 10-year-olds. A total of $212,000 was levied against three franchises for the violations.[267] Further investigations uncovered child labor violations involving 83 minors at 16 different locations in Louisiana and Texas, with imposed fines amounting to $77,572.[268]

McDonald's has been criticized for shrinkflation, colloquially dubbed "McFlation", with increases in menu prices far exceeding inflation.[269][270][271]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In some markets, including the United States, McDonald's, like many other restaurant chains, refers to its frozen dairy-based beverages as "shakes" rather than "milkshakes" for legal reasons.

References

  1. ^ Purdy, Chase (April 25, 2017). "McDonald's isn't just a fast-food chain—it's a brilliant $30 billion real-estate company". Quartz. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  2. ^ Maze, Jonathan (February 26, 2015). "Why McDonald's won't ever get rid of its real estate". Nation's Restaurant News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "Enrique Hernandez, Jr". McDonalds.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Bomkamp, Samantha (June 13, 2016). "Mcdonald's HQ Move Is Boldest Step Yet in Effort to Transform Itself". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "2021 Annual Report" (PDF). McDonald's IR. February 24, 2022. pp. 3, 8, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 30, 43, 44, 48, 55. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  6. ^ "Why You're Technically Not Able To Order A Milkshake At McDonald's". Daily Meal. September 9, 2023. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K". February 22, 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  8. ^ "McDonald's Corporation 2023 Annual Report Form (10-K)". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. February 22, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "McDonald's future Near West Side neighbors air parking, traffic safety beefs". Chicago Tribune. June 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Hufford, Austen (June 14, 2016). "McDonald's to Move Headquarters to Downtown Chicago". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "McDonald's Headquarters Opening in West Loop, Offers Food From Around The World". April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018 – via CBS Chicago.
  12. ^ "McDonald's Opens New Global Headquarters in Chicago's West Loop". July 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  13. ^ "Who Owns More Land: Bill Gates, McDonald's or The Catholic Church?". Yahoo! Finance. September 13, 2022. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  14. ^ Purdy, Chase (April 25, 2017). "McDonald's isn't just a fast-food chain—it's a brilliant $30 billion real-estate company". Quartz. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "McDonald's Is King Of Restaurants In 2017 – pg.1". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  16. ^ "McDonald's: 60 years, billions served". Chicago Tribune. April 15, 2015. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  17. ^ a b c "MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K filed on 2/22/2019". Archived from the original on March 29, 2019.
  18. ^ a b c "Data" (PDF). d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2017.
  19. ^ Harris, William (April 7, 2009). "10 Most Popular McDonald's Menu Items of All Time". HowStuffWorks. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  20. ^ "The World's Largest Employers". WorldAtlas. February 15, 2018. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  21. ^ "The world's 30 largest employers will surprise you". www.msn.com. June 29, 2018. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  22. ^ Bhandari, Arabinda (2013). Strategic management: A Conceptual Framework. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-259-02640-9.
  23. ^ Skrabec, Quentin R. (2012). The 100 Most Significant Events in American Business: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-313-39862-9.
  24. ^ Dotz, Warren; Morton, Jim (1996). What a Character! 20th Century American Advertising Icons. Chronicle Books. pp. 27–28. ISBN 0-8118-0936-6.
  25. ^ Hughes, Mark (January 4, 2008). "Logos That Became Legends: Icons From the World of Advertising". The Independent. ISSN 1741-9743. Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  26. ^ Horovitz, Bruce. "McDonald's Sends In the Clown, Again". USA Today. ISSN 0734-7456. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  27. ^ Wagner III, John; Hollenbeck, John R. (2020). Organizational Behavior: Securing Competitive Advantage. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-33490-6.
  28. ^ a b Smith, Andrew F. (2009). Eating History: 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-231-14092-8.
  29. ^ "Ray Kroc". Entrepreneur. October 9, 2008. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  30. ^ "McDonalds Museum". Juan Pollo. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  31. ^ Elliott, Farley (October 27, 2023). "California's unofficial McDonald's museum is a fast food fever dream". sfgate.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  32. ^ Kincheloe, Joe L. (2002). The sign of the burger: McDonald's and the culture of power. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-931-9. OCLC 47140812. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  33. ^ "Fanatics Preach Fast Food Evangelism". Fox News Channel. July 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  34. ^ Dand, Khyati (January 10, 2022). "This Is The Exact Date McDonald's Shamrock Shake Returns In 2022". Mashed.com. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  35. ^ "Cheeseburger Green Chile Double". McDonalds. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  36. ^ Smith, Michelle (July 4, 2019). "10 Awesome McDonald's Foods You Can Only Get In America". The Travler. Archived from the original on April 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  37. ^ "McDonald's is going for healthier fare and greater digitisation". The Economist. January 28, 2017. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on February 4, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  38. ^ "McDonald's to remove corn syrup from buns, curbs antibiotics in chicken". Reuters. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  39. ^ "McDonald's says classic burgers no longer have artificial ingredients". Free Malaysia Today. September 28, 2018. Archived from the original on October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  40. ^ "McDonald's Removing Artificial Preservatives From 7 Classic Burgers". Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  41. ^ "McDonald's says classic burgers no longer have artificial ingredients". AFP.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  42. ^ "McDonald's makes move to ditch artificial preservatives, colours and flavours". NewsComAu. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  43. ^ Garcia, Tonya. "McDonald's to launch its own plant-based burger, the McPlant, after Beyond Meat test". MarketWatch. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  44. ^ Sozzi, Brian (November 9, 2020). "McDonald's unveils its own meatless burger McPlant, a year after Beyond Meat test". www.yahoo.com. Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  45. ^ Pochin, Courtney; Gibbons, Lottie (December 29, 2022). "McDonald's announces menu change for 2023 with new burger". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  46. ^ "McDonald's Is Releasing A New Type Of Ice Cream & Fans Are Impressed". Delish. June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  47. ^ Valinsky, Jordan (January 10, 2024). "McDonald's is bringing back a fan favorite after four years | CNN Business". CNN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  48. ^ "Double Big Mac comes to McDonald's this month: Here's what's on the limited-time menu item". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  49. ^ Marquis, Christopher; Qiao, Kunyuan (2022). Mao and markets the communist roots of Chinese enterprise. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-300-26883-6. OCLC 1348572572.
  50. ^ "McDonald's takes Georgie Pie nationwide". Stuff.co.nz. October 1, 2013. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  51. ^ Khan, Mahmood; Khan, Maryam (2013). "I'm Lovin' It"—Around the World: A Case Study of McDonald's "Glocalization". 1 Oliver's Yard, 55 City Road, London, EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom: International CHRIE. doi:10.4135/9781529710199. ISBN 978-1-5297-1019-9. Archived from the original on October 13, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  52. ^ "The Time is Now: McDonald's Serving All Day Breakfast Nationwide". McDonald's. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  53. ^ "McDonald's all-day breakfast launches across Canada". Global News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  54. ^ Pomranz, Mike (September 23, 2020). "Will All-Day Breakfast Ever Return to McDonald's?". Food & Wine. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  55. ^ Joshi, Shiv (September 4, 2024). "McDonald's partners with Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) for developing nutritional products". India Retailing. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  56. ^ a b Mohapatra, Sanjay (2012). Information Strategy Design and Practices. Google Books: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 301. ISBN 978-1-4614-2427-7.
  57. ^ Craven, Scott (August 29, 2016). "AZ Central — You won't believe where McDonald's opened its first drive-thru" (News Article). Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  58. ^ "McDonald's Restaurants". Caterersearch.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  59. ^ "Hearth Express Closed". Supermarket News. July 31, 1995. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  60. ^ "McDrive: il fast food comodo, facile e veloce". McDonald's Italia (in Italian). Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  61. ^ "McDonald's vs Newk's Franchise Cost Comparison and Analysis". thefranchisemall.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  62. ^ Duca, Lauren (April 10, 2016). "This McDonald's has a "Walk-Thru"". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  63. ^ "McDonald's Australia". mcdonalds.com.au. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  64. ^ Kieler, Ashlee (November 3, 2016). "McDonald's Ends 'Create Your Taste' Customized Burger Program". Consumerist. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  65. ^ "Big Mac with a side of quinoa? Inside the world's first McDonald's Next". CNN. January 11, 2016. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  66. ^ "McDonald's and BP test combined operations. (McDonald's Restaurants; BP Oil Co.)". Archived from the original on January 18, 2012.
  67. ^ "McDonald's serves up 'MCSTOP' – Its restaurant for big crowds". August 16, 1984. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012.
  68. ^ a b c d "Restaurants going high tech". Yahoo Tech. June 14, 2016. Archived from the original on June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  69. ^ Quinn, Dave (October 13, 2021). "McDonald's Has a Riverside Restaurant with a Float-Thru Window". people.com. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  70. ^ "McDonald's wants a digital-age makeover". Archived from the original on September 23, 2006.
  71. ^ "Mickey D's McMakeover". Archived from the original on May 24, 2006.
  72. ^ Bruce Horovitz (May 9, 2011). "McDonald's revamps store to look more upscale". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  73. ^ "McDonald's Bans Smoking at All the Sites It Owns". The New York Times. February 24, 1994. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  74. ^ McLean, Rob. "McDonald's closes seating at corporate-owned restaurants amid coronavirus outbreak". CNN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  75. ^ Saxena, Jaya (March 17, 2020). "Corporate-Owned McDonald's Will Only Offer Drive-Thru, Takeout, and Delivery Amid Coronavirus Pandemic". Eater. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  76. ^ Haddon, Heather (July 28, 2020). "Coronavirus Pandemic Squeezes McDonald's Profit". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  77. ^ Lucas, Amelia (December 6, 2023). "McDonald's to open first CosMc's spinoff restaurant this week". CNBC. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  78. ^ Wiener-Bronner, Danielle (July 27, 2023). "McDonald's teases new CosMc's restaurant concept | CNN Business". CNN. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  79. ^ "McDonald's has some new restaurants in its plans. Here's what we know about 'CosMc'". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  80. ^ McPhillips, Deidre (October 23, 2024). "What we know about the McDonald's E. coli outbreak investigation". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  81. ^ CDC (October 30, 2024). "E. coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders". E. coli Infection (Escherichia coli). Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  82. ^ Gibson, Richard (August 12, 1999). "Want Fries With That? Ask McDonald's New E-Clerks". The Wall Street Journal.
  83. ^ O'Toole, James (May 22, 2014). "Robots will replace fast-food workers". CNN. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  84. ^ Meyersohn, Nathaniel (September 20, 2024). "McDonald's touchscreen kiosks were feared as job killers. Instead, something surprising happened | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  85. ^ "McDonald's to launch ordering app, expand delivery". March 2017. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  86. ^ "McDonald's uses AI for ordering at drive-throughs". BBC News. September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  87. ^ "New McDonald's in Fort Worth is latest iteration of restaurant industry's shift toward automation". Texas Standard. January 31, 2023. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  88. ^ Salam, Erum (December 23, 2022). "Touchscreens, conveyor belts: McDonald's opens first largely automated location". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  89. ^ Neville, Simon (August 25, 2008). "McDonald's ties nine out of 10 workers to zero-hours contracts". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  90. ^ "FAQS | McDonald's UK". www.mcdonalds.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  91. ^ Anzalone Liszt Grove Research and Fast Food Foreward. New York's Hidden Crime Wave: Wage Theft and New York City's Fast Food Workers Archived May 29, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  92. ^ Maclay, Kathleen. "Fast Food, Poverty Wages: The Public Cost of Low-wage jobs in the Fast Food Industry". University of California Labor Center October 15, 2013.
  93. ^ Susanna Kim (November 21, 2013). McDonald's Defends Telling Workers to 'Quit Complaining' to Reduce Stress Archived November 12, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. ABC News. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
  94. ^ "McDonald's Closes Employee Website Amid Criticism". DailyDigest. Associated Press. December 26, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  95. ^ Goldberg, Harmony, "How McDonald's gets away with rampant wage theft" Archived May 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Salon, April 6, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  96. ^ Tae-hoon, Lee (August 16, 2015). "McDonald's lures customers with illegal ads on Independence Day". The Korea Observer. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  97. ^ Beckerman, Josh. "McDonald's New CEO Gets 69% Pay Raise" Archived July 18, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  98. ^ "McDonald's faces strike for first time in UK as workers take action over pay and zero-hour contracts". The Independent. September 4, 2017. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  99. ^ "McDonald's workers to go on strike in Britain for first time". The Guardian. September 4, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  100. ^ Chazan, David (September 1, 2019). "Marseille fights to stop McDonald's from closing in rare French support for American fast-food giant". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  101. ^ "Lawyers claim attempted murder of McDonald's trade unionist in France". Morning Star. August 31, 2019. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  102. ^ "Marseille: Kamel Guemari porte plainte pour tentative de meurtre". La Marsaillaise (in French). August 31, 2019. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  103. ^ "Fast-food chains tell workers to treat burns with mustard, ketchup, and mayo". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  104. ^ Jana Kasperkevic (March 16, 2015). McDonald's workers told to treat burns with condiments, survey shows Archived November 8, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. The Guardian. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  105. ^ "People power: YOU DID IT!". Animals Australia. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  106. ^ "McDonald's Australia meets cage-free egg target | Australian Food News". January 24, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  107. ^ "McDonald's Achieves Goal of Sourcing 100% Cage-Free Eggs in the U.S." www.mcdonalds.com. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  108. ^ Owen, Tess (September 10, 2015). "McDonald's Is Switching to Cage-Free Eggs at a Delicate Moment for the Poultry Industry". VICE News. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  109. ^ "The Insanely Complicated Logistics of Cage-Free Eggs for All". Wired. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  110. ^ Gelles, David (July 16, 2016). "Eggs That Clear the Cages, but Maybe Not the Conscience". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  111. ^ Kesmodel, David (March 18, 2015). "Cage-Free Hens Study Finds Little Difference in Egg Quality". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  112. ^ Strom, Stephanie (February 13, 2012). "McDonald's Set to Phase Out Suppliers' Use of Sow Crates". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  113. ^ "Carl Icahn Pushes McDonald's to Change Way It Sources Its Pork". The New York Times. February 20, 2022. Archived from the original on February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  114. ^ Channon, Max; PA, Helen Williams and John Besley (May 22, 2021). "Ongoing protests cause McDonald's food shortages". Hull Live. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  115. ^ McSweeney, Eoin (May 22, 2021). "Animal and climate activists blockade McDonald's distribution centers across England | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  116. ^ Luna, Nelson (September 8, 2019). "Goodbye, golden arches: Columbia to redevelop McDonald's property as part of Manhattanville expansion". Columbia Daily Spectator. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  117. ^ a b McDonald's – The Leading Global Food Service Retailer :: AboutMcDonalds.com Archived August 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 8, 2008
  118. ^ "McDonald's Momentum Delivers Another Year of Strong Results for 2011". Yahoo Finance. January 24, 2012. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  119. ^ Brand, Rachel (December 23, 2006). "Chipotle founder had big dreams". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on July 8, 2009. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  120. ^ "McDonald's sets October deadline to sell Chipotle stock". Denver Business Journal. July 25, 2006. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  121. ^ "McDonald's Wraps Up Boston Market Sale". Dow Jones & Company, Inc. News Services. August 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
  122. ^ Baertlein, Lisa (September 24, 2009). "McDonald's raises cash dividend by 10%". Reuters. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  123. ^ "List of 2009 Dividend Aristocrats via Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 10/1/2009". Seekingalpha. Seekingalpha.com. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on August 30, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  124. ^ "McDonald's". Fortune. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  125. ^ Tiffany Hsu (November 9, 2012). "McDonald's monthly sales fall for the first time in nine years". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  126. ^ Wong, Venessa (January 7, 2015). "McDonald's New Turnaround Plan Is So 1990s". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  127. ^ Baertlein, Lisa (March 14, 2017). "McDonald's, late to mobile ordering, seeks to avoid pitfalls". Reuters. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  128. ^ Patton, Leslie (November 23, 2015). "McDonald's Knows You're Sick of Screw-Ups at Drive-Thru Windows". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  129. ^ Ferdman, Roberto A. (August 13, 2015). "This is a terrible sign for McDonald's". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  130. ^ a b "McDonald's to Cut U.S. Stores for First Time in Decades". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 18, 2015. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  131. ^ Lucas, Amelia (July 16, 2019). "McDonald's adds DoorDash as the new delivery partner, ending exclusivity with UberEats". CNBC. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  132. ^ Hottovy, RJ (August 11, 2020). "Value, Access, and Franchisee Health Position McDonald's for Postpandemic Growth". Morningstar.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  133. ^ "Financial Information and Annual Reports | McDonald's". www.mcdonalds.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  134. ^ "McDonald's Fundamentalanalyse | KGV | Kennzahlen". boerse.de (in German). Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  135. ^ "McDonald's global restaurant count yearly". Statista. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  136. ^ "McDonald's Number of Employees 1993-2022". Stock Analysis. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  137. ^ "McDonald's number of employees 2022". Statista. Archived from the original on November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  138. ^ a b c "2007 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  139. ^ "2008 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  140. ^ "2009 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  141. ^ "2010 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  142. ^ "2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  143. ^ "2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  144. ^ "2013 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  145. ^ "2014 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  146. ^ "2015 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  147. ^ "2016 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  148. ^ "2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  149. ^ "2018 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  150. ^ "2019 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  151. ^ "2020 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  152. ^ "McDonald's Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results". corporate.mcdonalds.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  153. ^ "McDonald's Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Results". www.mcdonalds.com. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  154. ^ Lublin, Joann S.; Jargon, Julie (October 15, 2015). "McDonald's Nears Decision on Real Estate". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  155. ^ Jargon, Julie. "McDonald's Won't Spin Off Real Estate Holdings". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  156. ^ "Hamburger University Campus". mcdonalds.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  157. ^ "Our Facility". corporate.mcdonalds.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016.
  158. ^ "McDonald's Business Model and Strategy :: McDonald's". corporate.mcdonalds.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  159. ^ Eidelson, Josh (November 19, 2013). "McDonald's tells workers to "sing away stress," "chew away cares" and go to church". Salon. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014. These and other tips appear on a "McResource Line" website created by the McDonald's Corp. to advise workers on stress, health and personal finances. Among the tips that appear on the site: "Chewing gum can reduce cortisol levels by 16%"; "At least two vacations a year can cut heart attack risk by 50%"; "Singing along to your favorite songs can lower your blood pressure"; and "People who attend more church services tend to have lower blood pressure."
  160. ^ Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation.
  161. ^ Russ, Hilary (June 22, 2021). "U.S. fast-food chains cut discounts, push pricy meals post-pandemic". Reuters. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  162. ^ "McDonald's Quietly Removes Happy Meals from Value Menu". QSR magazine. October 22, 2018. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  163. ^ Steele, Jeffrey. Oak Brook history in caring hands society president is part of village's changing heritage Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Chicago Tribune. July 29, 1998. Page 88. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  164. ^ Cross, Robert. Inside Hamburger Central Archived August 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Chicago Tribune. January 9, 1972. G18. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  165. ^ "Board of Directors". McDonald's. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  166. ^ Haddon, Heather (November 4, 2019). "McDonald's Fires CEO Steve Easterbrook Over Relationship With Employee". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  167. ^ "McDonald's CEO steps down after relationship with employee". Evening Express. November 3, 2019. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  168. ^ Hirsch, Lauren (August 22, 2022). "Under Pressure, McDonald's Shakes Up Its Board". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  169. ^ "Sheila Penrose to leave McDonald's board". UPI. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  170. ^ "Sheila Penrose – Awesome". www.awesomeleaders.org. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  171. ^ "McDonald's Corporation (MCD) Stock Major Holders - Yahoo Finance". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  172. ^ "India's 50 most trusted brands". Rediff.com. January 20, 2011. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  173. ^ "The Big Mac index". The Economist. October 7, 2015. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  174. ^ "The Big Mac index – Currency comparisons, to go". The Economist. July 28, 2011. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  175. ^ 'Until we meet again,' McDonald's tells Russia as it exits the country for good Archived July 10, 2022, at the Wayback Machine - DailyO
  176. ^ "McDonald's satser stort i Norge. – Nå kommer vi til Nord-Norge!" [McDonald's is betting big in Norway. - Now we come to Northern Norway!] (Press release) (in Norwegian). McDonald's. August 22, 2023. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  177. ^ Invercargill: The World's Southernmost… Archived March 24, 2023, at the Wayback Machine - Invercargill Holiday Park and Motels
  178. ^ Friedman, Thomas L. (December 8, 1996). "Foreign Affairs Big Mac I". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  179. ^ "The Lexus and the Olive Tree". Thomaslfriedman.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  180. ^ "McDonald's quits Crimea due to fears of trade clash". INA Daily News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  181. ^ "Russia Shuts 4 McDonald's Restaurants Amid Ukraine Tensions". Moscow News.Net. August 20, 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  182. ^ "Russian Deputy PM says McDonalds is not being targeted in response to sanctions". Russia Herald. August 23, 2014. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  183. ^ Stanford University Press, 1998, edited by James L. Watson
  184. ^ "McDonald's deal with oil company marries China's new love of fast food, cars". Archived from the original on March 25, 2007.
  185. ^ a b Li, David Daokui (2024). China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 114. ISBN 978-0393292398.
  186. ^ Samuel, Henry (October 4, 2009). "McDonald's restaurants to open at the Louvre". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022.
  187. ^ Gasparro, Annie; Jargon, Julie (September 5, 2012). "McDonald's to Go Vegetarian in India". The Wall Street Journal. p. B7.
  188. ^ "Voluntary Announcement: Acquisition of a Controlling Interest in Mcdonald's Mainland China and Hong Kong Businesses" (PDF). CITIC Limited. Hong Kong Stock Exchange. January 9, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  189. ^ Patton, Leslie (March 8, 2022). "McDonald's to Shutter 850 Russia Stores After Backlash". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  190. ^ Harris, Sophia (March 8, 2022). "McDonald's, Starbucks, Coke, Pepsi join companies suspending business in Russia". CBC News. Toronto ON: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  191. ^ "McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Starbucks halt Russian sales". BBC News. London UK: British Broadcasting Corporation. March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  192. ^ "McDonald's to sell its business in Russia after 30 years". theguardian. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  193. ^ "McDonald's to leave Russia for good after 30 years". BBC News. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  194. ^ "McDonald's is leaving Russia altogether". cnn News. May 16, 2022. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  195. ^ "Russia's new version of McDonald's unveils logo". BBC News. June 10, 2022. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  196. ^ Tasty name but no Big Mac: Russia reopens rebranded McDonald's restaurants Archived June 12, 2022, at the Wayback Machine Reuters June 12, 2022
  197. ^ "Russia unveils 'tasty' McDonald's substitute". BBC News. June 12, 2022. Archived from the original on June 12, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  198. ^ "Stars Coffee, anyone? Old Starbucks stores reopen in Russia with imitation branding — and menu". ABC News. August 20, 2022. Archived from the original on August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  199. ^ "Big Mac's comeback: McDonald's to reopen in Ukraine". AP. August 11, 2022. Archived from the original on August 24, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  200. ^ ""Макдональдс" в Беларуси будет работать под российским брендом "Вкусно — и точка"". officelife.media (in Russian). November 11, 2022. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  201. ^ "Экс-рестораны McDonald's будут работать под брендом I'M". kapital.kz (in Russian). November 23, 2023. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  202. ^ "McDonald's renews as FIFA World Cup Sponsor until 2014". FIFA. Retrieved October 24, 2014
  203. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2012). Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 175.
  204. ^ "McDonald's slogans used around the world, past and present". Archived from the original on January 26, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  205. ^ "Remembering Michael Jordan's Landmark McDonald's Deal". Sports. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  206. ^ "Sprite and LeBron James Create Limited-Edition Flavor | Press Release". www.coca-colacompany.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  207. ^ "LeBron James leaving Coke after almost 18 years to sign endorsement deal with Pepsi, per reports". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  208. ^ Ju, Shirley (September 9, 2020). "Travis Scott McDonald's Deal Marks First Celebrity Meal Since Michael Jordan in 1992". Variety. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  209. ^ Saxena, Jaya (October 6, 2020). "McDonald's Partners With J Balvin Following the Huge Success of the Travis Scott Meal". Eater. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  210. ^ "LeBron set to sign deal with Pepsi, sources say". ESPN.com. January 16, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  211. ^ "LeBron James signs deal with Sprite". Cleveland19. August 14, 2003. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  212. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (April 20, 2021). "BTS Meal Coming to McDonald's in May". Variety. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  213. ^ "Mars rover Curiosity's other mission: publicity machine". Statesman.com. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  214. ^ a b "Daytona 500 champ gets McDonald's sponsorship". Fox News. February 25, 2010. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  215. ^ "Bill Elliott, McDonald's to reunite". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. August 25, 2004. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  216. ^ "Spire Motorsports partners with CGR to field Daytona 500 car for Jamie McMurray". Spire Motorsports. NASCAR. January 18, 2019. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  217. ^ "McDonald's set to race with Kyle Larson, No. 42 team in 2019". Chip Ganassi Racing. NASCAR. January 18, 2019. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  218. ^ Long, Dustin (April 13, 2020). "McDonald's, Credit One Bank, Clover terminate sponsorship of Kyle Larson". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  219. ^ "McDonald's to Sponsor Wallace". Richard Petty Motorsports (Press release). Motor Racing Network. February 21, 2019. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  220. ^ "Wallace opts out of the No. 43 at season's end". Fulton Sun. AP. September 12, 2020. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  221. ^ Pockrass, Bob [@bobpockrass] (December 14, 2020). "Chip Ganassi Racing will also have sponsorship from McDonalds in 2021. McDonalds is one of the five sponsors announced today by 23XI Racing" (Tweet). Retrieved December 16, 2020 – via Twitter.
  222. ^ Estrada, Chris (December 14, 2020). "23XI Racing reveals 'founding partners' for 2021 season". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  223. ^ McHappy Day, Ronald McDonald House Charities. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  224. ^ McHappy Day Archived April 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  225. ^ "Donor Turns Fast Food Into Big Bucks For Hospital". The New York Times. December 8, 1995. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  226. ^ "The night time 'McRefugees' of Hong Kong". BBC News. October 27, 2015. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  227. ^ Dennis McLellan (April 16, 2004). "Phil Sokolof, 82; Used His Personal Fortune in Fight Against High-Fat Foods". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  228. ^ "McLibel: Longest case in English history". BBC News. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  229. ^ Schlosser, Eric (2000). "Fast Food Nation". archive.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  230. ^ "Letter from McDonald's headquarters claiming fries are vegetarian". Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2006.
  231. ^ "Merriam-Webster: 'McJob' is here to stay". CNN Offbeat News. Associated Press. November 11, 2003. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008.
  232. ^ "McMansion: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster Unabridged. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  233. ^ Cowen (March 1, 2013). "Study reveals McDonalds to be pick of the litter". Sunshine Coast Daily. Archived from the original on February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020. According to a study by litter prevention organisation Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB), McDonalds packaging accounted for 17.7% of discarded trash found in the state.
  234. ^ McGregorTan Research (September 2012). "National Branded Litter Study 2011/12" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 29, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  235. ^ "McDonald's cooking oil trans-fat-free in the U.S., Canada". Reuters. May 23, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  236. ^ Sweney, Mark (April 20, 2006). "Not bad for a McJob?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  237. ^ "National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on August 18, 2000.
  238. ^ "Revenge policy in motion; Israel committing war crimes in Gaza". B'tselem. Archived from the original on October 22, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  239. ^ "Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza". October 20, 2023. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  240. ^ "McDonald's faces backlash for donating free meals to Israeli forces amid ongoing conflict". Samaa Tv. October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  241. ^ Owusu, Tony (October 13, 2023). "#BoycottMcDonalds trends as food chain announces to provide free food to Israeli soldiers". Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  242. ^ "INTERNATIONALMcDonald's Boycott Becomes Top Trend On Social Media As Fast-Food Chain Is Providing Free Meals To Israeli Troops Attacking Gaza". October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  243. ^ IMPELLI, MATTHEW (October 14, 2023). "McDonald's Faces Boycott for Giving Israeli Soldiers Free Food". NEWS WEEK. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  244. ^ "McDonalds Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon release statements; dissociate themselves from Israel". The Current. October 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  245. ^ "McDonald's hit by Israel-Gaza 'misinformation'". BBC News. January 4, 2024. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  246. ^ "McDonald's buys 225 of Israel franchise restaurants after boycotts amid war". Al Jazeera. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  247. ^ Valdez, Jonah (July 30, 2024). "Boycotts Against Israel Are Hurting Starbucks and McDonald's Sales Worldwide". The Intercept. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  248. ^ Kelly, Louise (January 15, 2019). "'It's like Connacht winning against the All Blacks': Supermac's CEO responds to Big Mac trademark success against McDonald's". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on January 19, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  249. ^ "'End of the McBully' - Supermac's wins trademark case against McDonald's". RTÉ. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  250. ^ "EU strips McDonald's of its Big Mac trademark in Europe". The Independent. January 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  251. ^ "'Like a Big Mac But Juicier': Burger King renames sandwiches to troll McDonald's". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  252. ^ "McDonald's finally proves BIG MAC use, but what can brands learn from this long-running saga?". www.worldtrademarkreview.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  253. ^ Power, Jack (June 5, 2024). "EU court rules in favor of Supermac's in 'Big Mac' trademark row with McDonald's". The Irish Times. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  254. ^ Connelly, Tony (June 5, 2024). "Supermac's wins Big Mac trademark case with McDonald's". RTÉ News. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  255. ^ Hosford, Paul (June 5, 2024). "EU court rules in favour of Supermac's in trademark dispute with McDonald's over 'Big Mac'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  256. ^ "McDonald's—Will the Growing Cooperation Between France's Tax and Prosecution Authorities Erode Taxpayers' Rights?". news.bloombergtax.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  257. ^ BBC online news article dated September 8, 2009 News.BB.co.uk Archived December 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  258. ^ Balakrishnan, Nandini (December 30, 2016). "Cakes Without The Halal Logo Will Not Be Allowed In McD's". SAYS. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  259. ^ "McDonald's fined for employing underage workers". ABC News. April 12, 2007. Archived from the original on April 18, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
  260. ^ "McLibel: Longest case in English history". BBC News. February 15, 2005. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  261. ^ Stone, Anthony (November 21, 2013). "McDonald's sorry over rap lyrics". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  262. ^ "McDonald's Apologizes for Playing a Rucka Rucka Ali Song in Wales". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on November 21, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  263. ^ Media, P. A. (February 8, 2023). "McDonald's signs legal pledge amid UK sexual harassment concerns". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  264. ^ "McDonald's workers speak out over sexual abuse claims". BBC. July 18, 2023. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  265. ^ a b Goodman, Amy (January 25, 2011). "Do You Know the Full Story Behind the Infamous McDonald's Coffee Case and How Corporations Used it to Promote Tort Reform?". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  266. ^ "McDonald's workers sue over sexual harassment, 'toxic' work culture". Reuters. November 13, 2019. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  267. ^ "McDonald's franchises fined for child labor violations in Labor Department crackdown". PBS. May 3, 2023. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  268. ^ Marnin, Julia (July 26, 2023). "Child labor violations involving 388 minors at McDonald's uncovered since May, feds say". Tri-City Herald. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  269. ^ Rogelberg, Sasha (February 13, 2024). "McDonald's CEO sees a McFlation 'battleground' with customers revolting over $8 chicken sandwiches and $3 hash browns". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  270. ^ ROGELBERG, SASHA (May 14, 2024). "McDonald's may be willing to lose money on $5 meal deals if it means winning back disgruntled cash-strapped customers". Fortune. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  271. ^ O'sullivan, John (February 29, 2024). "McDonald's customers not happy with Filet O Fish change". Irish Star. Retrieved October 27, 2024.

Further reading

  • Ashenfelter, Orley, and Štěpán Jurajda. "Minimum Wages, Wages, and Price Pass-Through: The Case of McDonald's Restaurants." Journal of Labor Economics 40.S1 (2022): S179-S201. abstract
  • Bryman, Alan. "McDonald's as a Disneyized institution: Global implications." American Behavioral Scientist 47.2 (2003): 154–167. online
  • Derdak, Thomas and Jay P. Pederson, ed. (2004). "McDonald's". International directory of company histories (3rd ed.). St. James Press. pp. 108–9. ISBN 978-1-55862-512-9.
  • Eckhardt, Giana M., and Michael J. Houston. "Cultural paradoxes reflected in brand meaning: McDonald's in Shanghai, China." Journal of International Marketing 10.2 (2002): 68–82 online Archived October 1, 2022, at the Wayback Machine.
  • Evans, Stephen (April 20, 2004). "McDonald's: The journey to health". BBC News. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  • Horovitz, Bruce (May 8, 2014). "McDonald's testing seasoned fries". USA Today. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  • Kincheloe, Joe. "The complex politics of McDonald's and the new childhood: Colonizing kidworld." International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal 4.1 (2011): 1–46. online
  • Kincheloe, Joe L. The sign of the burger: McDonald's and the culture of power (Temple University Press, 2002).
  • Kottak, Conrad P. "Rituals at McDonald's." Journal of American culture 1.2 (1978): 370–376 online[dead link].
  • Kroc, Ray. Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's, 1977 ISBN 0809282593 a primary source
  • Langert, Bob. The battle to do good: Inside McDonald's sustainability journey (2019).
  • Livesey, Sharon M. "McDonald's and the Environmental Defense Fund: A case study of a green alliance." Journal of Business Communication (1973) 36.1 (1999): 5–39.
  • Love, John F. McDonald's: Behind The Arches (1995). online
  • Napoli, Lisa. Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away. 2016. ISBN 1101984953.
  • Ram, Uri. "Glocommodification: How the global consumes the local--McDonald's in Israel." Current Sociology 52.1 (2004): 11–31. online
  • Royle, Tony. Working for McDonald's in Europe: the unequal struggle (Routledge, 2004).
  • Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal by 2001 ISBN 0395977894.
  • Smith, Andrew F. ed. Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food (2006)
  • Tien, Nguyen Hoang. "Customization and Standardization of the Business Strategy of Foreign Enterprises in Vietnam–the McDonald's Case and the Fast Food Sector" International journal of research in marketing management and sales 1.2 (2019): 44–50. online
  • Vignali, Claudio. "McDonald's: 'Think global, act local'–the marketing mix." British food journal (2001) online[dead link].
  • Watson, James L., ed. Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia (Stanford University Press, 2006) excerpt