McDonald's

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McDonald's Corporation
Company typePublic (NYSEMCD)
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedMay 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California
FounderMcDonald's Richard and Maurice McDonald, Ray Kroc
Headquarters,
Number of locations
35,000+ worldwide[1]
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
James A. Skinner
(chairman) & (CEO)
ProductsFast food
(hamburgers • chicken • french fries • soft drinks • milkshakes • salads • desserts • breakfast)
RevenueIncrease US$ 22.69 billion (2007)[2]
Decrease US$ 3.879 billion (2007)[2]
Decrease US$ 2.359 billion (2007)[2]
Total assetsIncrease US$ 29.391 billion (2007)
Total equityDecrease US$ 15.279 billion (2007)
Number of employees
390,000 (2008)[2]
WebsiteMcDonalds.com
McDonald's Plaza, the main office of McDonald's
McDonald's Kosher in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Golden Arches logo since 2006, concurrently used with the 2018 logo.

McDonald's is an American corporation[3] that operates one of the largest chains of fast food restaurants in the world.[4]

McDonald's has over 36,000 stores in 119 countries and territories, the second-most stores out of all fast food chains worldwide behind only the submarine sandwich chain Subway.[5] They serve almost 54 million people each day.[6]

A McDonald's restaurant in Austin, Minnesota, United States (2006)

The first McDonald's restaurant was opened by Richard and Maurice (Mac) McDonald in 1940. It was located on Route 66 in San Bernardino, California.[7] The McDonald brothers later sold their company to Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Food[change | change source]

McDonald's restaurants mainly serve hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, burgers, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milk shakes and desserts. They also have options such as salads, apples, milk, McDonald's Popular Picks

In Australia, they sell the Frozen Coke,[8] which is very popular.

More McDonald's food is sold in the United States than in any other area, which means that it is McDonald's largest market. Europe is McDonald's second largest market.[9] The restaurants are either operated directly by McDonalds or more often by a franchise,[10] where the business is owned and operated by someone else to the standards set by McDonald's and with support from the McDonald's company. The company provides a central source of supply for food items and standardized menu.[7]

Criticism[change | change source]

McDonald's used to make their fries in beef tallow. People liked the flavor the tallow gave to the fries. Criticisms about its high saturated fat content was a big concern to customers in the 1980's so in 1990, McDonald's switched to using vegetable oil instead.[11]

In 2014, McDonald's in Europe used chicken meat which was produced by using genetically modified animal feed, which it had not done since 2001. Greenpeace states that McDonald's saves less than one Eurocent for each Chickenburger and goes down a path not desired by its customers.[12]

Mascot[change | change source]

McDonald's mascot is a clown named Ronald McDonald. He was made in 1963, and Willard Scott was the first to play as him.

Locations[change | change source]

McDonald's has restaurants in the following countries:

Notes[change | change source]

  1. The logo's Golden Arches symbol has been in use since September 28, 2006.

References[change | change source]

  1. McDonald's publication. "Corporate FAQ". McDonald's Corporation. Archived from the original on 2008-09-11. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Joe Bramhall. "McDonald's Corporation". Hoovers. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  3. "McDonald's, the world's biggest fast food chain, has reportedly rejected a plan put forward by..." Food & Drink Weekly. 23 January 2006. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  4. "World's Largest Fast Food Chains". Food & Wine. Time, Inc. Affluent Media Group. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
  5. Ganzel, Bill (2016-08-22). "McDonald's vs Subway: Which Has the Bigger Restaurant Chain?". Knoema. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  6. Lubin, Mamta Badkar, Gus. "18 Facts About McDonald's That Will Blow Your Mind". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-06-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. 7.0 7.1 Ganzel, Bill (2007). "Fast Food". Life in the 50s & 60s. Wessels Living History Farm. Retrieved 2008-11-21.[permanent dead link]
  8. "McDonald's Frozen Coke® | Drinks | McDonald's Australia".
  9. "Sales Are Up Again at McDonald's". The New York Times. October 8, 2003.
  10. "McDonald's Corporation". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
  11. "McDonald's changed its fries recipe but it's not doing you any good". NewsComAu. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  12. http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/mcdonald-s-gentechnik-in-chickenburger-und-chickennuggets-a-966345.html McDonald's: Gentechnik im Burger, der Spiegel, 2014-04-27.

Other websites[change | change source]