Who does not know McDonald’s? We all agree that McDonald’s is the world’s largest fast-food restaurant. It has a bunch of franchises spread across the globe.
McDonald’s reportedly has 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Isn’t it amazing? Keep reading to find out the history of this legendary fast-food restaurant.
A Glimpse of McDonald’s
McDonald’s Corporation is an American fast-food company. It was founded and operated by Richard McDonald and Maurice McDonald as a restaurant in San Bernardino, California. They ran their business as a hamburger store, then changed it into a franchise with a logo of Golden Arches introduced in 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona.
McDonald’s is the biggest restaurant chain in the world based on revenue. It has been serving more than 69 million customers every day in more than 100 different countries. As of 2018, it has 37,855 outlets all around the world. Though McDonald’s is known for its burgers and French fries, they also serve chicken dishes, breakfast, desserts, and drinks.
Responding to customers’ negative reactions saying that they sell unhealthy food, McDonald’s added some additional menus, including salad, smoothies, and fish. The revenue of this fast-food company comes from royalties, rents, and fees paid by franchisees, as well as sales at company-operated restaurants.
According to 2 reports published in 2018, McDonald’s is the second largest private company in the world with 1,7 million employees.
The History of McDonald’s
As it is mentioned before, the first McDonald’s restaurant was founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California. The small restaurant served a menu of hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes at affordable prices. One special thing that McDonald’s used was the Speedee Service System.
It was a self-service system where customers could quickly get their food. The price of their burger was cheap as well, which was only 15 cents, half of the price at their rival restaurants. The new innovation made McDonald’s gain popularity. Richard and Maurice then bought a Multimixer, which is a milkshake machine maker from a businessman named Ray Kroc.
Kroc was so shocked at that time witnessing how a small restaurant could produce so many milkshakes every day. In 1954, Kroc visited McDonald’s, knowing that their business was extremely promising. Then, he offered a franchise program and became McDonald’s first official franchise agent. In 1955, Kroc opened McDonald’s first franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois.
He also founded McDonald’s Corporation in the same year. 6 years later, Kroc bought the company’s property rights.
Quick Info:
Founder | Ray Kroc |
Founded | April 15, 1955 |
CEO | Chris Kempczinski |
Headquarters | Chicago, IL |
Area Served | Worldwide |
Social Media | Twitter.com/McDonalds instagram.com/McDonalds Facebook.com/McDonalds |
Official Website | www.mcdonalds.com |
McDonald’s Slogan & Taglines
In the United States, McDonald’s has more than 30 taglines and slogans, including:
- 1961 – Look for the Golden Arches
- 1967 – McDonald’s is your kind of place
- 1971 – You deserve a break today
- 1975 – We do it all for you
- 1975 – Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce, cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun
- 1976 – You, you’re the one
- 1979 – Nobody can do it like McDonald’s can
- 1980 – You deserve a break today
- 1981 – Nobody makes your day like McDonald’s can
- 1983 – McDonald’s and you
- 1984 – It’s a good time for the great taste of McDonald’s
- 1985 – It’s Mac Tonight
- 1988 – Good time, great taste (that’s why this is our place)
- The late 1980s – There’s nothing quite like a McDonald’s
- 1990 – Food, folks and fun
- 1991 – McDonald’s today – The entire jingle was “What you want is what you get at McDonald’s today.”
- 1992 – What you want is what you get
- 1993 – Do you believe in magic?
- 1995 – Have you had your break today?
- 1997 – My McDonald’s
- 1997 – Did somebody say McDonald’s?
- The 1990s – McDonald’s – It can happen
- The 1990s – Eddie the Echo – How ya doin’? How ya doin’?
- 2000 – We love to see/make you smile
- 2000 – Put a smile on
- 2002 – Every time a good time
- 2002 – We love to see you smile
- 2003 – me encanta – The Justin Timberlake slogan song
- 2003 – I’m lovin’ it – The Justin Timberlake slogan song
- 2007 – Things that make you go ‘mmm’ – Breakfast us
- 2015 – The Simpler the Better (attempted to trademark it in 2016)
- 2016 – Lovin’ Beats Hatin’ (was not well received)
- 2017 – I’m Lovin’ It
McDonald’s Logo
Revenue
Macdonalds earned total revenue of US$23.22 billion in 2021.