McDonald's
Golden Arches logo used since 2006 | |
Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| ISIN | US5801351017 |
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Genre | Fast food |
| Founded | May 15, 1940, in San Bernardino, California, U.S.April 15, 1955 (McDonald's Corporation) |
| Founders | Richard & Maurice McDonald (original restaurant chain)Ray Kroc (McDonald's Corporation) |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 41,822 restaurants (2023) |
Area served | Worldwide (119+ countries) |
Key people | Chris Kempczinski (chairman & CEO) |
| Products |
|
| 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 | |
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food restaurant chain. As of 2024, it is the second-largest by number of locations in the world, behind the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.
Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 as a hamburger stand. They soon franchised the company. The Golden Arches logo was introduced in 1953. In 1955, the businessman Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent; he bought the company in 1961. 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.
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). In 2018, McDonald's was the world's second-largest private employer after Walmart; most of its 1.7 million employees work in the restaurant's franchises.
McDonald's bestselling licensed items are their french fries and Big Mac hamburgers; other fare includes cheeseburgers, chicken, fish, fruit, and salads. McDonald's has been criticized for its foods' nutrition, animal welfare and low worker wages.