McDonald's
Golden Arches logo used since 2006 | |
Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| ISIN | US5801351017 |
| Industry | Fast food restaurants, real estate |
| Founded | May 15, 1940, in San Bernardino, California, United StatesApril 15, 1955 (McDonald's Corporation) |
| Founders | Richard & Maurice McDonald (original restaurant chain) Ray Kroc (McDonald's Corporation) |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 41,822 restaurants (2023) |
Area served | Worldwide (119+ countries) |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Revenue | US$25.49 billion (2023) |
| US$11.65 billion (2023) | |
| US$8.469 billion (2023) | |
| Total assets | US$56.15 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | −US$4.71 billion (2023) |
Number of employees | c. 150,000 (2023) |
| Website | mcdonalds.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. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world, behind the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.[9]
Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 as a hamburger stand. They soon franchised the company.[10] The Golden Arches logo was introduced in 1953.[11] In 1955, the businessman Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent; he bought the company in 1961.[12] In the years since, it has expanded internationally. Today, McDonald's has more than 40,000 restaurant locations worldwide, with around one-quarter in the US.[13][14]
Other than food sales, McDonald's generates income through its ownership of 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land (which it leases to its franchisees).[15][16] In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer after Walmart;[17][18][19] most of its 1.7 million employees work in the restaurant's franchises.[18][19]
McDonald's bestselling licensed items are their French fries and Big Mac hamburgers;[20] other fare includes cheeseburgers, chicken, fish, fruit, and salads. McDonald's has been criticized for its foods' nutrition, animal welfare and low worker wages.[21]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Enrique Hernandez, Jr". McDonalds.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
FY21was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "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.
- ^ "MCDONALDS CORP, 10-K". February 22, 2019. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "McDonald's Corporation 2023 Annual Report Form (10-K)". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. February 22, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "McDonald's loses crown as world's biggest fast-food chain to global giant with zero U.S. locations; here's all about the company that dethroned it". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:9was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:10was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Who Made America? | Innovators | Ray Kroc". www.pbs.org. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ Heady, Jaylen (April 20, 2024). "How Many McDonald's Restaurants Are There In The World?". yahoo!finance.
- ^ "Number of McDonald's locations in the USA in 2025". ScrapeHero. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ Budzyn, Dan (September 13, 2022). "Who Owns More Land: Bill Gates, McDonald's or The Catholic Church?". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "McDonald's". World Economic Forum. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "The World's Largest Employers". WorldAtlas. February 15, 2018. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "The world's 10 largest employers will surprise you". www.cnbc.com. June 29, 2018. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Britannica Money". www.britannica.com. May 1, 2025. Retrieved May 1, 2025.