Spotlight
McDonald’s is a US fast-food company that operates and franchises McDonald’s restaurants around the globe. The fast-food chain is known for their iconic shakes, hamburgers, and fries. McDonald’s is the largest restaurant brand in the world followed by Starbucks and Restaurant Brands International. The company’s business segments include the US (the company’s largest segment), International Lead Markets, High Growth Markets, and Foundational Markets and Corporate. In 2015, McDonald’s was the fourth largest employer in the world, with approximately 1.9 million employees (including franchise employees). Of the 37,241 restaurants operating in 120 countries, approximately 34,108 are franchised and 3,133 are operated by the company. Under a conventional franchise arrangement, the company generally owns the land and building, or secures a long-term lease for the franchised restaurant sites and the company-operated sites, which helps maintain long-term occupancy rights. Franchisees provide a portion of the capital required by investing in restaurant equipment, signs, seating, décor, and by reinvesting in the business over time. McDonald’s and its franchisees purchase food, packing, and other items from independent suppliers, which are distributed via third-party distribution centers. The company reported $33.8 billion in total assets and $10.62 billion in gross profit for fiscal year 2017.
-
Two brothers, Maurice and Richard McDonald, who opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, Ca, had developed an efficient format which enabled them to produce large amounts of food at low prices. They sold a basic burger for 15¢, which at the time was half the price of their competitors, and created a self-service counter which eliminated the need for waitstaff, used assembly lines to prepare food, cooked hamburgers in advance, and then warmed them under heat lamps to quickly serve customers. It was this model that set the standard for the fast-food industry.
-
As of 2017, McDonalds has more than $30 billion in real estate assets, and in addition to other franchise fees, the company charges each year an average of 22% of a franchisee’s gross profits for rent.
-
There are over 14,027 McDonald’s locations in the US, and Puerto Rico alone has 104 restaurants. McDonalds serves approximately 69 million customers daily.
-
In 2017, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook received a salary of $21.8 million.
-
Despite objections from McDonalds, the term “McJob” was added to the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defining the word as “a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement.”
-
More than half (52%) of the families of front-line fast-food workers are enrolled in one or more public programs.
-
In 2015, US McDonalds workers filed 28 health and safety complaints in 19 cities after receiving severe burn injuries while on the job. Employees reported that first-aid kits in the restaurants were missing, inaccessible, or empty, and that managers advised injured employees to use condiments in substitution for burn cream.
-
McDonalds has been banned, or not welcome, in the following countries: Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Ghana, Iceland, Iran, Jamaica, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro, and North Korea.
At a Glance
Founded
1955, United States
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Corporation Type
Service; Public
Number of Employees
1.9 million
Major Industries
Fast-Food Restaurants; Real Estate
Total Revenue
$22.82 billion for FY 2017
Activity Map
Explore the map to discover where this corporation operates around the globe.
- Blue
- Active Countries
Industries
Find out which food-related industries this corporation is involved with–from food production to consumption.
Restaurants and Bars
Establishments primarily engaged in the retail sale of prepared food and drinks for on-premise or immediate consumption.
Brands
Explore the page to unmask the illusion of control you have as a consumer and see which brands this corporation owns.
Total Brands: 1
McCafeLobbying
On this page you will find a list of lobbyists who had been hired by McDonald’s, the issues they lobbied for, and a list of federal bills they lobbied to pass. Bills that McDonald’s lobbied against are not included on this page.
Government Contracts
No data available for Government Contracts of McDonald’s, please use menu above to navigate to available visualizations.
Education & Money
No data available for visualization Education & Money of McDonald’s, please use menu above to navigate to available visualizations.
Income Disparities
Find out how the compensation of the CEO from this corporation compares to the salary of the lowest paid worker within the same company.
1 : 917
Ratio
$15,355,746
CEO Compensation
$16,746
Lowest Worker Compensation
