McDonald's facts for kids
Golden Arches logo used since 2006
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Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois
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| Public | |
| Traded as | |
| Industry | Fast food restaurants, real estate |
| Founded | May 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California, U.S. |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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 40,031 restaurants (2021) |
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Area served
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Worldwide (119+ countries) |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Revenue | US$23.223 billion (2021) |
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Operating income
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US$10.356firstbillion (2021) |
| US$7.545 billion (2021) |
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| Total assets | US$53.854 billion (2021) |
| Total equity | −US$4.601 billion (2021) |
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Number of employees
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c. 150,000 (2022) |
McDonald's is a very famous American company. It runs one of the biggest fast food restaurant chains in the world.
You can find McDonald's in over 119 countries, with more than 40,000 restaurants! It's one of the largest fast food chains, serving millions of people every day.
The first McDonald's restaurant opened way back in 1940. It was started by two brothers, Richard and Maurice (Mac) McDonald. Their first restaurant was in San Bernardino, California. Later, a businessman named Ray Kroc bought the company from the brothers.
Contents
What Does McDonald's Sell?
McDonald's is best known for its hamburgers. They also sell many kinds of chicken items, like chicken sandwiches. You can always find French fries, soft drinks, and shakes.
They offer breakfast foods and desserts too. In many places, McDonald's also has salads and vegetarian options. Sometimes, they bring back special items like the McRib sandwich for a short time. Around Saint Patrick's Day in March, they sell a green Shamrock Shake.
Some items are only available in certain areas. For example, the Hatch Green Chile Double Cheeseburger is only sold in New Mexico.
You can choose to eat your meal inside the restaurant (dine-in). Or you can take your food with you (take-out). Dine-in meals come on a tray. Take-out meals are usually in a brown paper bag.
Healthier Choices and New Ingredients
Since 2015, McDonald's has worked to make its menu simpler. They have also added healthier options. For example, they removed high-fructose corn syrup from their hamburger buns.
They also took out artificial preservatives from Chicken McNuggets. Instead, they use ingredients like pea starch and lemon juice. By 2018, seven of their classic burgers in the U.S. no longer used artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. However, the pickles still have an artificial preservative.
In 2020, McDonald's announced the McPlant. This is a burger made from plants. They plan to make more plant-based foods, like chicken substitutes and breakfast items. In 2022, the Double McPlant became available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Different Menus Around the World
McDonald's changes its menu to fit what people like in different countries. For example, in many Asian countries, they serve soup. This is because they want to offer foods that people in that region are used to. They also follow local food rules. For instance, in India, they avoid beef because of religious reasons.
In Indonesia, you might find McRice. In Japan, they have the Ebi (prawn) Burger. In China, their breakfast menu includes fried buns and soybean milk.
In Germany, McDonald's even sells beer! In New Zealand, they used to sell meat pies. In Greece, the Big Mac is served with Tzatziki sauce in a pita.
In the United States and Canada, McDonald's used to offer a partial breakfast menu all day. This was stopped in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How McDonald's Started
The McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, opened their first restaurant on May 15, 1940. It was in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, they created the "Speedee Service System." This system made fast food restaurants work much faster.
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The first mascot for McDonald's was a chef's hat on a hamburger, called "Speedee." In 1962, the famous Golden Arches became the main symbol. The clown Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1965. He appeared in ads to attract children.
On May 4, 1961, McDonald's first applied for a U.S. trademark for the name "McDonald's." Later, under the guidance of Ray Kroc, they trademarked the double-arched "M" symbol. This "Golden Arches" logo we know today was first used in 1968.
Ray Kroc is often credited with founding the modern McDonald's Corporation. He opened his first McDonald's restaurant on April 15, 1955. In 1961, Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers' share of the company. He then began to expand McDonald's all over the world.
Kroc and the McDonald brothers had disagreements over the business. The original San Bernardino restaurant was torn down in 1971. Today, the site is a museum for McDonald's and Route 66 history.
McDonald's has grown into a worldwide symbol. It represents globalization and the American way of life. Because it is so well-known, people often discuss McDonald's when talking about topics like obesity and consumer choices.
McDonald's Around the World
McDonald's restaurants are in 120 countries. They serve over 68 million customers every day. As of 2018, there were 37,855 restaurants worldwide. More than 210,000 people work for McDonald's.
Most McDonald's restaurants are run by franchisees. This means someone else owns and operates the business. But they follow McDonald's rules and get support from the company. McDonald's provides the food items and sets the menu.
The United States sells the most McDonald's food. This makes it McDonald's biggest market. Europe is the second largest market for the company.
Types of McDonald's Restaurants
There are over 36,000 McDonald's restaurants globally. Over a third of these are in the United States. Japan has the second highest number, followed by China.
How You Can Order Food
In the United States, most McDonald's restaurants have both counter service and a drive-through. You can eat inside or sometimes outside. The drive-through allows you to order and pick up food from your car. The first drive-through was in Sierra Vista, Arizona in 1975.
McDrive Locations
Some McDonald's locations near highways are called McDrive. They only offer drive-through service and have no seating. In busy city areas, some locations might not have a drive-through. A few places even have a "Walk-Thru" service instead of a drive-through.
McCafé Coffee Shops
McCafé is a café inside McDonald's restaurants. It started in Melbourne, Australia, in 1993. Most McDonald's in Australia now have McCafés. These cafés offer coffee and other drinks. They have helped increase sales for McDonald's.
"Create Your Taste" and "Signature Crafted Recipes"
From 2015 to 2016, McDonald's tried a new way to order burgers. Customers could choose all their ingredients at special kiosks. This was called "Create Your Taste." The food was served on wooden boards with metal cutlery. This concept was later replaced by "Signature Crafted Recipes" to be more efficient.
Other Unique Locations
Some McDonald's are connected to gas stations or convenience stores. Others, called McExpress, have limited seating or menus. You can also find McDonald's inside Walmart stores. McStop locations are made for truckers and travelers.
In the United Kingdom, McDonald's can be found in service stations and shopping malls. "McExpress" or "McDonald's & Go" locations are often in train stations and airports.
In Sweden, Happy Meal boxes can turn into goggles for a game. In the Netherlands, McDonald's introduced McTrax. This is a Happy Meal box that works like a recording studio. You can make your own beats with it.
On the river Elbe in Hamburg, Germany, there is a "McBoat." This is a float-through service for people on the river.
Special Diet Options
The first kosher McDonald's opened in 1997 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are also many kosher McDonald's branches in Israel.
PlayPlaces for Kids
McDonald's playgrounds are called McDonald's PlayPlace. Many McDonald's in suburban areas have large indoor or outdoor playgrounds. The first PlayPlace with crawl-tubes and ball pits was introduced in the U.S. in 1987.
McDonald's Next Stores
McDonald's Next stores have an open design. They offer digital ordering for "Create Your Taste." These stores also have free charging for phones and table service after 6:00 pm. The first McDonald's Next opened in Hong Kong in 2015.
Restaurant Redesigns
In 2006, McDonald's updated the look of its restaurants. This was the first big redesign since the 1970s. They made them look more like coffee shops. They used wooden tables, faux-leather chairs, and softer colors. The red became terracotta, and yellow became a golden color. They also added olive and sage green. Many restaurants now have free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs.
New CosMc's Concept
In 2023, McDonald's announced a new fast-food brand called CosMc's. These new places are smaller than regular McDonald's. They focus on selling coffees and other drinks in the afternoon. The first CosMc's opened in December 2023 in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The name comes from CosMc, a McDonaldland mascot from the 1980s and 1990s.
Automation in McDonald's
Since the late 1990s, McDonald's has tried using electronic kiosks. These kiosks can take orders and accept payments. In 1999, McDonald's tested "E-Clerks" in Chicago. These machines could save money and sometimes led to bigger orders.
Experts believe that many fast food jobs could become automated in the future. By 2016, McDonald's "Create Your Taste" kiosks were used in some restaurants. Customers could use them to customize their meals.
In 2017, McDonald's launched an app in the U.S. This app lets customers order online and skip lines. Many locations have special parking spots for these orders.
In 2019, McDonald's bought a company called Apprente. This company uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to take orders using voice technology. This is being used in some drive-throughs.
In early 2023, McDonald's opened its first mostly automated restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. In this restaurant, you mostly interact with machines when ordering. There is no seating inside.
Criticism and Public Opinion
In 2014, McDonald's in Europe started using chicken that was fed genetically modified animal feed. They had stopped doing this in 2001. Some groups like Greenpeace were concerned about this change.
People sometimes notice that the food they get at McDonald's looks different from the pictures on the menu. This has become a common observation for many fast food chains.
Ronald McDonald and Friends
The most famous mascot for McDonald's is the clown Ronald McDonald. He lives in a make-believe world called McDonaldland. His friends include Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids. These characters are used in advertising to appeal to children.
McDonald's During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's closed most of its seating areas and all play areas in the United States.
Restaurants in many countries, like France and the United Kingdom, closed temporarily. Some later reopened for drive-through or delivery only. They also had limited menus. In other countries, like Australia and Canada, restaurants stayed open but only for drive-through, takeaway, or delivery.
In Australia, 11 McDonald's restaurants in Melbourne had to close. This happened after staff came into contact with a delivery driver who had COVID-19. When McDonald's drive-throughs reopened in the United Kingdom, there were very long lines of cars.
Where to Find McDonald's Restaurants
McDonald's has restaurants in many countries around the world. Here are some of them:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Hong Kong
- Macau
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland (Changed to Metro)
- Italy
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Peru
- Paraguay
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Samoa
- Saint Lucia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe
- Tibet
McDonald's Charity Work
McHappy Day Events
McHappy Day is an event held every year at McDonald's. On this day, a part of the money earned from sales goes to charity. It is the main event for raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
In 2007, McHappy Day was celebrated in 17 countries. These included Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the United States. In 2009, McHappy Day raised over $20 million.
Donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
In 1995, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received a special letter. It contained a winning $1 million McDonald's Monopoly game piece. Even though the rules usually didn't allow prizes to be transferred, McDonald's made an exception. They agreed to pay the hospital $50,000 every year for 20 years.
McRefugees
"McRefugees" is a term for people who are poor. They use McDonald's restaurants that are open 24 hours a day as a temporary place to stay. This happens in places like Hong Kong, Japan, and China.
Images for kids
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McDonald's at the Itis Mall in Itäkeskus, Helsinki, Finland
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An American McDonald's in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in June 2008; this is an example of the "new" look of American McDonald's restaurants.
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Fast food workers on strike outside of a McDonald's in St. Paul, Minnesota
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The McDonald's in Northport, Alabama commemorates U.S. President Ronald Reagan's visit.
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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.
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The McDonald's-sponsored car of Jamie McMurray in 2016
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Orlando, Florida, United States
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Markham, Ontario, Canada
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Pop-up restaurant at the Olympic Park in London, United Kingdom
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São Paulo, Brazil
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Lugano, Switzerland
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Tallinn, Estonia
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Sargodha, Pakistan
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Tampere, Finland
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Paris, France
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Dubai, UAE
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Kosher-McDonald's in Ashkelon, Israel
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Busan, South Korea
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Tokyo, Japan
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Shenzhen, China
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SM Mall of Asia, Pasay, Philippines
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Vilnius, Lithuania
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Sydney, Australia
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See also
In Spanish: McDonald's para niños
