McDonald's Corporation,doing business asMcDonald's, is an American multinationalfast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world, behind the Chinese chainMixue Ice Cream & Tea.[9]
BrothersRichard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's inSan Bernardino, California, in 1940 as ahamburger stand. They soonfranchised the company.[10] TheGolden Arches logo was introduced in 1953.[11] In 1955, the businessmanRay 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 afterWalmart;[17][18][19] most of its 1.7 million employees work in the restaurant's franchises.[18][19]
The McDonald brothers introduced the "Speedee Service System" in 1948, putting into expanded use the principles of the modernfast-food restaurant that predecessorWhite Castle had put into practice more than two decades earlier.[23][10] When the brothers made the Speedee Service System, they fired their 20carhops, removed theirsilverware and plates for paper wrappings and cups so that they no longer needed adishwasher, and simplified their menu to just nine items: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, threesoft drink flavors in one 12-ounce size,milk,coffee,potato chips andpie. "Our whole concept was based on speed, lower prices, and volume," Richard McDonald later said.[24]
Mascots
The original mascot of McDonald's was a hamburger-headed chef who was referred to as "Speedee".[25] In 1962, theGolden Arches replaced Speedee as the universal mascot.[11]Clown mascotRonald McDonald was introduced in 1963 to market the chain to children.[26]
Ray Kroc
Logo from 1940 until 1948
Logo from 1948 until 1953
Logo from 1953 until 1960
The present corporation credits its founding tofranchised businessmanRay Kroc on April 15, 1955.[27][28] This was the ninth opened McDonald's restaurant overall, although this location was destroyed in 1984[29] after theSan Ysidro McDonald's massacre.[30] Kroc was recorded as being an aggressive business partner, driving the McDonald brothers out of the industry.[31]
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.[32] The sale cost Kroc $2.7 million (worth almost $28,410,134 in the current day).[31] The San Bernardino restaurant was eventually torn down in 1971, and the site was sold to theJuan Pollo chain in 1998. This area serves as headquarters for the Juan Pollo chain, and a McDonald's andRoute 66 museum.[33][34] With the expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become a symbol ofglobalization and the spread of theAmerican way of life.[35]
An American McDonald's inFranklin, 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 restaurants were turned into cafe-esque space, being mostly terracotta, grey, and olive. The redesigned restaurants were also primary furnished with wood furniture.[38] One McDonald's franchise owner described the new look as, "It’s personable. It’s friendly. It’s inviting."[39]
As a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's closed most seating and all play areas in its United States restaurants.[40] It transitioned to drive-through and curbside orders at locations andonline food ordering delivery services.[41]
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 withNew Mexico green chile, is only available in the southwestern state ofNew Mexico.[46][47]
In 2021, the company cut value meals and cheaper items from its menu as part of a focus on higher-priced items.[48][49]
McValue Meal Deal
The McValue Meal, which has four items and was created in 2024. The meal deal is in the McValue menu and costs $5.[50] It was created to be abudget friendly meal on the McValue menu.[51]
Health improvements
WhenSteve Easterbrook became CEO of the company in 2015, McDonald's streamlined the menu which in the United States contained nearly 200 items. The company looked to introduce healthier options and removedhigh-fructose corn syrup fromhamburger buns. The company removedartificial preservatives fromChicken McNuggets,[52] replacing chicken skin, safflower oil and citric acid found in Chicken McNuggets with pea starch, rice starch, and powdered lemon juice.[53]
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.[54][55] Nevertheless, the pickles will still be made with an artificial preservative, although customers can choose to opt out of getting pickles with their burgers.[56][57]
McPlant
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.[58][59] This announcement came after the successful testing ofBeyond Meat plant based meat substitutes.[60]
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.[60] In 2024, select McDonald's in the UK were testing vegan ice cream called Choco Scoop and Strawberry Scoop and receiving positive reviews.[61]
McDonald's Menu is customized to reflect consumer tastes in their respective countries. Restaurants in several countries, particularly in Asia, servesoup. 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 regionalfood taboos (such as thereligious 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, orEbi (prawn) Burger in Singapore and Japan). McDonald's restaurants in China include fried buns and soybean milk on their breakfast menus.[62]
In France, McDonald's is called McDo. They sellmacaroons, Croque McDos,croissants,pain au chocolat, andbeer.[64] In Germany and some other Western European countries, McDonald's also sells beer. In Greece, the signature hamburger, Big Mac, is changed by adding Tzatziki sauce and packaging in a pita.[65]
In New Zealand, until 2020, McDonald's soldmeat pies after local affiliateMcDonald's New Zealand (known locally as "Macca's"[66]) partially relaunched theGeorgie Pie fast food chain it bought out in 1996.[67]
North America
In the United States and Canada, after limited trials on a regional basis, McDonald's began offering in 2015[68] and 2017,[69] respectively, a partial breakfast menu during all hours its restaurants were open. All-day breakfast was phased out from menus in the United States at the start of theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The all-day breakfast menu is still available in select locations across Canada.[70]
Types of McDonald's locations and McDonald's subsidiaries
McDonald's was forced to maintain pre-existing exterior of the house at their location inFreeport, Maine.[71]
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 inDarien, Illinois but closed after one year.[73]
McDrive
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;[72] it was first introduced inSierra Vista, Arizona in 1975,[74] following the lead of other fast-food chains. The first such restaurant in Britain opened atFallowfield, Manchester, in 1986.[75] In some countries, McDrive locations nearhighways offer no counter service or seating. In contrast, locations in high-density city neighborhoods often omit drive-through service.[76] There are also a few locations, mostly in downtown districts, that offer a "Walk-Thru" service in place of Drive-Thru.[77]
A McCafé-branded mobile coffee truck in China, 2024. McDonald’s has expanded the McCafé concept through modular and mobile retail formats in parts of Asia.
McCafé is acafé-style accompaniment to McDonald's restaurants. The concept was created by McDonald's Australia, starting withMelbourne in 1993.[78] In China, McCafé has expanded through small-format retail concepts such as kiosks, walk-up stands, and mobile coffee trucks. These formats support high-density areas and office districts where full restaurant build-outs are impractical.
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.[79] The buildings are not colorful, and instead use more natural colors, like fromconcrete and unpolished oak.[80]
A McDonald's inPanorama City, Los Angeles, California with a Playplace designed to promote a family-friendly image
McDonald's playgrounds used to be called Playlands and were outside. After concerns were raised that the playgrounds were dangerous, McDonald's moved them inside and began to make them out of softermaterials, such as plastic instead of metal. They renamed them PlayPlaces in 1987.[81]
McExpress and McStop
Some locations are connected togas stations and convenience stores,[82] while others called McExpress have limited seating or menu or may be located in a shopping mall. Other McDonald's are located inWalmart stores. McStop is a location targeted at truckers and travelers who may have services found attruck stops.[83]
In July 2023, the company announced it was working toward a new fast-food brand calledCosMc's, which would be tested at 10 sites. The first location was opened in December 2023 inBolingbrook, Illinois. The outlet had a smaller real-estate footprint than regular McDonald's restaurants and focused on selling coffee and other drinks to afternoon customers.[84]
The name for the new brand came from CosMc, a McDonaldland mascot that appeared in advertisements in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[85][86]
Although four additional locations were eventually opened in Texas, McDonald's announced in May 2025 that all locations would be shuttered and the associated app removed by the end of June of that year. Some CosMc's beverage flavors will be tested in other U.S. McDonald's locations.[87]
Corporate overview
Statistics
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 2000sBy 1993, McDonald's had sold more than 100 billion hamburgers, causing two-digit signs to be left at "99 billion"[88]
McDonald's restaurants are in 120 countries and territories and serve 68 million customers daily.[89] There are 41,800 McDonald's locations as of 2023, and 45,000 employees in the United States.[90][91]
The McDonald's on-demand delivery concept, which began in 2017 with a partnership withUber Eats and addedDoorDash in 2019 (with select locations addingGrubhub in 2021), accounts for up to 3% of all business as of 2019.[92]
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.[93]
Stock holdings
Focusing on its core brand, McDonald's begandivesting itself of other chains it had acquired during the 1990s. The company owned a majority stake inChipotle Mexican Grill until October 2006, when McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange.[94][95] Until December 2003, it ownedDonatos Pizza, and it owned a small share ofAroma Café, from 1999 to 2001. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's soldBoston Market toSun Capital Partners.[96]
McDonald's has increased shareholder dividends for 25 consecutive years,[97] making it one of theS&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.[98] The company is ranked 131st on theFortune 500 of thelargest United States corporations by revenue.[99] In October 2012, its monthly sales fell for the first time in nine years.[100] In 2014, its quarterly sales fell for the first time in seventeen years, when its sales dropped for the entirety of 1997.[101]
Monetary loss
In the United States, it is reported that drive-throughs account for 70 percent of sales.[102][103] McDonald's closed down 184 restaurants in the United States in 2015, which was 59 more than what they planned to open.[104][105] This move was the first time McDonald's had a net decrease in the number of locations in the United States since 1970.[105]
In the first three months of 2025, asU.S. President Donald Trump'stariff plans began to be unveiled and implemented, McDonald's revenue in the US fell 3.6% compared to the previous year, the largest sales decline in the US since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.[106]
Business trends
The key trends for the McDonald's Corp. are (as of the financial year ending December 31)[107][108]
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
Ownership
McDonald's owns the land on which many of its restaurants are situated,[15] which is valued at an estimated $42 billion.[129] 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.[130] In recent times, there have been calls to spin off the company's U.S. holdings into a potentialreal estate investment trust, but the company announced at its investor conference on November 10, 2015, that this would not happen. CEOSteve Easterbrook discussed that pursuing the REIT option would pose too large a risk to the company's business model.[131]
McDonald's trains its franchisees and management at one of theHamburger Universities. As of 2015, the Hamburger Universities reside inOak Brook,Tokyo,London,Sydney,Munich,São Paulo,Shanghai, andMoscow.[132] In other countries, McDonald's restaurants are operated by joint ventures of McDonald's Corporation and other, local entities or governments.[133]
QSC&V (Quality, Service, Cleanliness & Value) is a corporatemotto adopted by McDonald's to describe the company's philosophy for operating restaurants.[134] The motto is codified in the procedures McDonald's uses to evaluate itsfranchisees.[135]
Workers
According toFast Food Nation byEric 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, attendingchurch services to have a lowerblood pressure, and taking two vacations annually to reduce the risk formyocardial infarction.[136]
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.[137]
Headquarters
On June 13, 2016, McDonald's confirmed plans to move its global headquarters toChicago's West Loop neighborhood in theNear West Side. The 608,000-square-foot structure opened on June 4, 2018, and was built on the former site ofHarpo Productions.[138][139]
The McDonald's former headquarters complex, McDonald's Plaza, is inOak Brook, Illinois. It sits on the site of the former headquarters and stabling area of Paul Butler, the founder of Oak Brook.[140] McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within theChicago Loop in 1971.[141]
Board of directors
As of December 2024[update], the board of directors had the following members:[142]
Steve Easterbrook was CEO and president of McDonald's from 2015 to 2019, replacing the old CEO Don Thompson.[143] 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.[144] He was replaced as CEO byChris Kempczinski, who had been president of McDonald's USA.[145]
In August 2022, McDonald's announced significant changes to its board. It said that existing director Sheila Penrose, chair ofJLL Inc., would retire and that Anthony Capuano, CEO ofMarriott International, executive vice president and worldwide chairman of pharmaceuticals Jennifer Taubert ofJohnson & Johnson, and Amy Weaver president and CFO ofSalesforce would join. The changes were unrelated to an effort byactivist investorCarl Icahn.[146][147][148]
Ownership
The ten largest shareholders of McDonald's on March 31, 2025[149]
Countries with McDonald's restaurants, showing their first year with its first restaurantA McDonald's restaurant located in anArt Nouveau building inSubotica, Serbia
International influence
McDonald's has become emblematic ofglobalization, sometimes referred to as the "McDonaldization" of society.The Economist newspaper uses the "Big Mac Index": the comparison of the cost of aBig Mac in various worldcurrencies 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[150][151] (albeit for aMaharaja Mac—the next cheapest Big Mac is Hong Kong).[152] The northernmost McDonald's restaurant in the world is located inRovaniemi, Finland (after the restaurant inMurmansk, Russia was closed in 2022),[153] however from January 2024 this had changed again as McDonald's opened a new restaurant inTromsø, Norway.[154] And the southernmost in the world is located inInvercargill, New Zealand.[155]
McDonald's suspended operations in its corporate-owned stores in Crimea after Russia annexed the region in 2014.[158] On August 20, 2014, as tensionsbetween the United States and Russia strained overthe Russian annexation of Crimea, and theresultant 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.[159] On August 23, 2014, Russian Deputy Prime MinisterArkady 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.[160]
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 entitledGolden Arches East[161] 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 withSinopec, 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-through restaurants.[162]
Global activities
In Beijing, China, McDonald's restaurants arestate-owned enterprises operating according to franchise agreements.[163] Beijing Capital Agricultural Group owns these franchises.[163]
McDonald's has opened a McDonald's restaurant and McCafé on the underground premises of the French fine arts museum,The Louvre.[164]
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 ofCITIC Limited (for 32%). Private equity funds managed byCITIC Capital (for 20%) andCarlyle (for 20%), which CITIC Limited and CITIC Capital would form a joint venture to own the stake.[166]
On the riverElbe in Hamburg, Germany, is the world's only "McBoat", a float-through service (similar todrive-through) for people on the river.[167]
In Sweden, Happy Meal boxes can be used as goggles,[168] with the gameSlope Stars.[168] In the Netherlands, McDonald's has introduced McTrax that doubles as arecording studio; it reacts to touch.[168] They can create their own beats with asynth and tweak sounds with special effects.[168]
In March 2022, McDonald's closed and sold their 850 locations in Russia due to theinvasion of Ukraine. Approximately nine percent of global revenue and three percent of operating profit had come from Russia and the 100 locations in Ukraine.[169][170][171] They sold the restaurants to a Russian buyer under the condition that the locations would not use the McDonald's branding.[172][173] The new stores were rebranded asVkusno i tochka,[174] beginning to reopen in June.[175] Later in 2022, the 25 McDonald's restaurants in Belarus rebranded as Vkusno i tochka[176] and operations were suspended in Kazakhstan due to issues supplying minced meat from Russia. They rebranded the following year.[177]
During theGaza war, McDonald's branches in Muslim countries were boycotted after McDonald's branches in Israel provided free meals to theIsrael Defense Forces, who had been accused of committingwar crimes.[178][179][180] McDonald's in some countries distanced themselves from the actions of McDonald's Israel.[181] As a result, McDonald's bought all 225 Israeli franchise-owned restaurants.[182]
Since the late 1990s, McDonald's has attempted to replace employees withelectronic kiosks that would perform actions such as taking orders and accepting money. In 1999, McDonald's first tested "E-Clerks" in suburbanChicago, Illinois, andWyoming, Michigan, with the devices being able to "save money on live staffers" and attracting larger purchase amounts than average employees.[183]
In 2013, theUniversity of Oxford estimated that in the succeeding decades, there was a 92% probability of food preparation and serving becoming automated in fast food establishments.[184] By 2016, McDonald's "Create Your Taste" electronic kiosks were seen in some restaurants internationally where customers could custom order meals.[185]
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.[186]
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.[187]
In early 2023, McDonald's opened its first largely automated restaurant inFort 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.[188][189]
Worker complaints
McDonald's workers striking against coercive labor practices and low wages, 2018
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 offirst aid supplies, workers were told by management to treatburn injuries with condiments such asmayonnaise andmustard.[190] The Fight for $15 labor organization aided the workers in filing the complaints.[191]
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.[193] 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.[194][195]
South Korea
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.[196]
As of 2013, 90% of McDonald's UK workforce were onzero-hour contracts, making it potentially the largest such private sector employer in the country.[197] In April 2017, after workers engaged in labor strke, all employees were given the option of fixed contracts.[198]
From 2007 to 2011, fast food workers in the U.S. drew an average of $7 billion ofpublic assistance annually resulting from receiving low wages.[199] 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."[200] 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.[201]
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 inCrayford andCambridge. The strike was supported by thenLeader of the OppositionJeremy Corbyn.[202][203]
McDonald's has been criticized for numerous aspects of its business, including its products' health effects, employees' treatment, and other business practices.
In 2001,Eric Schlosser's bookFast Food Nation criticised aspects of McDonald's business practices, particularly around its political lobbying and criticism of the business practices of McDonald's, particularly concerning its use of political influence and targeting advertisements to children.[204]
Nutrition
In 1990, activists from a small group known asLondon Greenpeace (no connection to the international groupGreenpeace) distributed leaflets entitledWhat'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 forlibel 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.[205]
Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary filmSuper Size Me claimed that McDonald's food was contributing to the increase ofobesity 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 adultHappy Meal.
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 notrans fats for its french fries, andcanola-based oil with corn and soy oils, for its baked items, pies, and cookies, by the end of 2018.[206] The company introduced a new slogan to its recruitment posters: "Not bad for aMcJob."[207]
Animal welfare
McDonald's has been criticized for using factory farmed fast growing chicken breeds in their supply chain.[208] These breeds are more likely to suffer from welfare issues such as broken or fractured bones, leg deformities and heart failure.[209][210]
Since McDonald's purchases over 2 billion eggs per year, which accounts for about 4 percent of eggs produced in the United States, the switch to cage-free eggs 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.[211][212] In 2014, McDonald's pledged to stop using eggs frombattery cage facilities in restaurants in Australia by 2017, which was met in 2018.[213][214]
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.[215] They cited "suffering of animals" in the McDonald's supply chain as a motivating factor.[216]
McDonald's has been involved in severallawsuits 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 chainSupermac'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.[217][218][219]
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."[220]
In 2023, the EUIPO Board of Appeal partially annulled their decision after McDonald's filed 700 pages of additional evidence despite objections.[221] However, on further appeal to theEuropean 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.[222][223][224]
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.[225]
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.[226]
On December 29, 2016, McDonald's Malaysian issue a statement that said only certified halal cakes are allowed inside its restaurants nationwide.[227]
United Kingdom
The longest-running legal action of all time in the UK was theMcLibel case against two defendants who criticized several aspects of the company. The trial lasted ten years and called 130 witnesses. TheEuropean 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.[228]
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.[229] 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.[230]
In January 2025, it was reported that over 700 young workers had filed lawsuits against McDonald's UK, alleging widespread harassment and discrimination. The claims, handled by the law firm Leigh Day, involved current and former employees under the age of 20 and spanned more than 450 restaurants. Following a BBC investigation in July 2023, testimonies highlighted issues such as racism, homophobia, ableism, and harassment. McDonald's UK, dismissed 29 workers for sexual harassment in 2023 and established a specialist unit to investigate such allegations. However, unions argued that these measures did not resolve the issues. Employees shared accounts of inappropriate behavior, including homophobic remarks, sexual advances, and unwanted physical contact from managers. Similar allegations had been raised in 2019, with the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union reporting over 1,000 cases of harassment involving female employees.[231] In March 2025, the Equality and Human Rights Commission wrote to all 1,400 McDonald's branches telling them they must comply with their legal duties, or risk enforcement action.[232]
In June 2025, it was reported that McDonald's was attempting to block the expansion of the Irish chainSupermac's into the UK market and intended to proceed with IPO trademark court proceedings in the UK, despite having been unsuccessful in similar proceedings against Supermac's in the EU in 2024.[233]
United States
The 1994 court caseLiebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants examined a McDonald's practice of serving coffee so hot that when spilled, it causedthird degree burns requiring weeks of hospitalization andskin grafting surgery.[234] The trial outcome was an award of $2.86 million (equivalent to $5.47 million in 2024) for the plaintiff, 81-year old Stella Liebeck.[234] The amount was later reduced to $640,000 (equivalent to $1.2 million in 2024). In 2019, a McDonald's employee, Jenna Ries, sued the restaurant chain over allowingsexual harassment in the workplace and described theworking environment as "toxic".[235]
In 2023, an investigation by theUnited States Department of Labor foundchild 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.[236] Further investigations uncovered child labor violations involving 83 minors at 16 different locations in Louisiana and Texas, with imposed fines amounting to $77,572.[237]
McDonald's has maintained an extensive advertising campaign for decades. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes use of billboards and signage. Also, it sponsors sporting events ranging fromLittle League to theFIFA World Cup andOlympic Games.[238] Television has been central to the company's advertising strategy.[239] 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.[240]
McDonald's usesplaygrounds, games, andtoys to make children want to go to McDonald's.[241]
Celebrity endorsements
Sports
In 1992, basketball playerMichael Jordan became the first celebrity to have a McDonald's value meal named after him. The "McJordan" was available at Chicago franchises. The exclusivity of the meal lead to fans in other regions being envious, more notably leading to a man buying a gallon of the McJordan BBQ sauce for 10,000 dollars.[242]
LeBron James was a spokesman for McDonald's from 2003 to 2017,[243] while co-endorsing Coca-Cola-Sprite since early in his career.[244]
In January 2025,WNBA playerAngel Reese became the first woman to partner with McDonald's, creating the Angel Reese Special.[245][246] Ordering the meal as a double Quarter Pounder was promoted in reference to Reese's consistentdouble-doubles during games.[247]
Music
In September 2020, McDonald's partnered with rapperTravis Scott to release the "Travis Scott Meal" nationwide. Scott designed new uniforms for McDonald's employees and released Cactus Jack merchandise using vintage visuals from the fast food chain's history.[248] The company followed up with the "J Balvin Meal" in a partnership withreggaeton singerJ Balvin.[249]
In 2021, McDonald's partnered with Koreanboy groupBTS to release the "BTS Meal" in 50 countries around the world, starting on May 26 in select countries.[250]
Space exploration
McDonald's andNASA explored an advertising agreement for a planned mission to the asteroid449 Hamburga; however, the spacecraft was eventually canceled.[251]
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 forRonald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).[261] According to the Australian McHappy Day website, McHappy Day raised $20.4 million in 2009. The goal for 2010 was $20.8 million.[262]
Ronald McDonald House Charities is a global network of more than 260 Chapters that is made to help families accessmedical care for their children and family support services in more than 60 countries and regions throughout the world. In 2022, over $182 million were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities from McDonald's, its franchisees, and its customers.[263]
In 1995,St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received an anonymous letter postmarked in Dallas, Texas, containing a $1 million winningMcDonald'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.[264]
Future plans
McDonald's has many plans to expand, digitize, and reduce carbon emissions in the near future.
McDonald's wants to add 900 McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. and 10,000 more worldwide (totaling 50,000 restaurants globally) by 2027.[265][266]
McDonald's has committed to eliminatingdeforestation from itsglobal supply chain by 2030 for beef and four other commodities. The company also has a 2050net-zero carbon emissions commitment, to bring global carbon emissions down.[267] Digitizing the Arches is a new initiative of McDonald's.[268] From this, McDonald's announces a partnership withGoogle to automate restaurants usingartificial intelligence,[265] andGoogle Cloud technology.[269] They also plan to expand the McDonald's loyalty program from 150 million to 250 million 90-day active users by 2027.[269][268] McDonald's is also planning to expand its digital ordering system to 30% of deliveries originating from their app by 2027.[265]
^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.
^ab"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. RetrievedJuly 18, 2022.
^abSkrabec, Quentin R. (2012).The 100 Most Significant Events in American Business: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 206.ISBN978-0-313-39862-9.
^abSmith, Andrew F. (2009).Eating History: 30 Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 224.ISBN978-0-231-14092-8.
^"Ray Kroc".Entrepreneur. October 9, 2008.Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. RetrievedMay 29, 2019.
^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. RetrievedAugust 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."
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