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 | |
 A McDonald's Restaurant inTel Aviv | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | October 14, 1993; 32 years ago (1993-10-14) inRamat Gan, Israel |
| Founder | Omri Padan |
| Headquarters | Ga'ash, Israel |
Number of locations | 161 standard non kosher restaurants 68 kosher restaurants (2023) |
Area served | Israel |
| Services | Master franchise |
| Owner | Alonyal Limited (sale to McDonald's Corporation pending) |
Number of employees | 6,000+ (2015) |
| Website | www |
McDonald's Israel (Hebrew:מקדונלד'ס ישראל,romanized: McDonald's Yisra'el) is the Israelimaster franchise of thefast food restaurant chainMcDonald's. Previously operated and licensed by Alonyal Limited (Hebrew:אלוניאל בע"מ,Alonyal Ba'am), McDonald's Israel is the largest[1] of Israel's burger chains with a 60% market share.[1] It was the first Israeli outlet to be opened in 1993 and a major competitor of the local restaurant chainBurger Ranch.[2] The world's firstkosher McDonald's was opened inMevaseret Zion in October 1995.[1] After a sales decline attributed to consumer boycotts as part of theBDS movement, McDonald's Corporation announced in 2024 that it would buy Alonyal pending regulatory approval.[3][4][5]
McDonald's Israel was founded by Israeli businessman Omri Padan.[6]Currently McDonald's has 228 restaurants in Israel, with 69 of them underKosher supervision.[7] This means that they are closed onShabbat andJewish holidays, have no mixed meat and dairy products (such ascheeseburgers), and forPassover serve the meat on Passover buns. In Israel, most branches are non-kosher since they serve cheeseburgers (which are non-kosher, i.e. do not conform to traditional Jewish dietary law) by special request (they are not on the menu) and serve milk-based desserts (ice cream, milkshakes). Some of the kosher branches serve milk products in a separate section of the restaurant. McDonald's Israel does not operate restaurants in theWest Bank andGolan Heights.[8]
McDonald's Israel claims to source over 80% of its ingredients locally. This includes kosher beef patties, potatoes, lettuce, buns and milkshake mix.[6]
McDonald's entered Israel in 1993. The first branch was at theAyalon Mall inRamat Gan.[9] In the wake of a controversy over importing French fries to Israel, the American fast food chain decided to manufacture frozen French fries in Israel at a cost of $5 million US.[10]
In 1994, theGolani Interchange branch aroused controversy when the restaurant installed a large 'golden arches' sign in front of theGolani Brigade museum and memorial. Bereaved families and other citizens claimed this desecrated the site. The sign was later reduced in size.[11][12]
In 1997, McDonald's Israel opened its first branch in anIsraeli Arab city. The restaurant was inTamra, 27 kilometers (17 mi) northeast ofNazareth, and the menu was bilingual, inHebrew andArabic.[13]
In 1998, McDonald's Israel began to barbecue hamburgers on charcoal instead of frying them.[1] This represented a shift in McDonald's policy, which previously required uniformity at all its locations. In the wake of this decision, grilling equipment was installed at the restaurants, and the size of the patty and bun were increased.[1]
In 2004, the company was criticized for ordering its Arabic and Russian-speaking staff to speak only Hebrew during work hours. Their motivation behind this decision was to "prevent uncomfortable situations for workers and clients who mostly speak Hebrew,"[14] but the order was subsequently withdrawn.[15][better source needed]
In 2006, the international chain's trademark yellow and red signs were replaced at two branches in Tel Aviv with blue and white signs with the Hebrew word "kosher" in order to avoid confusion over which branches were kosher.[8][16]
McDonald's Israel, in June 2013, turned down an offer to open a restaurant inAriel in June 2013, citing its declared policy not to open any branches inWest Banksettlements across theGreen Line.[17]
In 2015, McDonald's Israel introduced the mobile applicationMcApp, which enabled customers to order on line and pick up their order when ready.[1]
In January 2017, McDonald's Israel introducedMcTouch stands to their restaurants, which enable customers to order meals without standing in line. TheMcTouch offers the 'My Mac' option, allowing customers to create their own hamburgers with their preferences and favorites, choosing from various dressings and extra components such as guacamole and fried onion rings.[1][18]
In 2017, McDonald's Israel's McRoyal hamburger was chosen by Channel 10's "Osot Cheshbon" (translated: Making The Bill) program as "The Most Outstanding & Healthiest Hamburger in Israel", following laboratory exam.[19]
On April 4, 2024, McDonald's Corporation announced that it would purchase the franchise owner Alonyal, which would make the Israeli McDonald's franchise corporate-owned, pending regulatory approval. The announcement was after a boycott was called due to the franchise offering free meals to theIsrael Defense Forces during theGaza war.[3][20][4]
While McDonald's operates severalKosher and non-Kosher restaurants, all the beef served in the restaurants is kosher beef.[6] The difference is that the non-Kosher branches open onShabbat andJewish holidays, in addition to serving dairy products and cheeseburgers.[6] A kosher McDonald's was also opened inArgentina, at theAbasto de Buenos Aires shopping mall. Argentina and Israel are the only branches in the world that barbecue their burgers on charcoal.[21]
Similar to McDonald's charitable efforts in the other countries they operate, McDonald's Israel has donated to charities which benefit children such asSchneider Children's Hospital, "Make A Wish Association", and "The Fighting Cancer Association."[6] McDonald's Israel also has its own "McSmile Program," which sponsors trips for children recovering from cancer.[6]
The regular McDonald's menu has some additions catering to local tastes. McKebab (Hebrew:מקקבב) was served intortilla.Israeli salad was added to the menu in 2007. In January 2011, McDonald's Israel introduced McFalafel (Hebrew:מקפלאפל) in all its restaurants,[22] but was removed from the menu in July 2011, until its revival in July 2021. McDonald's Israel also serves the Big America series, which consists of six burgers - the Big New York, the Big Texas, the Big Chicago, the Big Miami, the Big Las Vegas and the Big Broadway. All of the burgers are served with either a 0.5 pound patty (225 grams) or a 0.275 pound patty (125 grams) and with slight differences in the sauce and the onions.
As with most McDonald's locales, McDonald's Israel uses beef patty containing around 10% fat. In addition, it uses canola oil and has reduced sodium and increased the proportion of vegetables in the dishes.[23]
In compliance withkashrut, McDonald's restaurants in Israel do not servepork products. However, they have been criticized by Jewish religious leaders for serving cheeseburgers and employing Jewish workers on Saturdays, theJewish Sabbath.[24]
During theGaza war, amidst theIsraeli blockade of supplies in Gaza, McDonald's inIsrael was condemned after giving free food to theIsrael Defense Forces who were accused ofcommitting war crimes againstPalestinians.[25][26][27][28] The hashtag #BoycottMcDonalds gained worldwide traction on social media.[29] There were also large gatherings outside restaurants inLebanon andEgypt protesting the move. McDonald's in other Muslim countries such asTurkey andPakistan, distanced themselves from the Israeli brand and pledged aid toGaza.[30][31]
In January 2024, McDonald's CEOChris Kempczinski acknowledged the backlash, stating, "Several markets in the Middle East and some outside the region are experiencing a meaningful business impact due to the war and associatedmisinformation that is affecting brands like McDonald's".[32] In April 2024, McDonald's purchased the franchise, from its current owner, Alonyal, due to falling sales in nearby Arab countries.[4]
