About McDonald's

Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, ventured to California in 1954 to visit McDonald’s hamburger stand, where he heard they were running eight mixers at once. Kroc was impressed by how rapidly customers were served and, seeing an opportunity to sell many more milkshake machines, encouraged brothers Dick and Mac McDonald to open a chain of their restaurants. Kroc became their business partner and opened the first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955. McDonald‘s and the Golden Arches have since become an internationally-recognized symbol of quick-service hamburgers, fries, chicken, breakfast items, salads and milkshakes.

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 37,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 90% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women.

McDonald’s & our franchisees employ 1.9 million people worldwide.

We serve the world some of its favorite foods – World Famous Fries, Big Mac, Quarter PoFranchises Under, Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffin.

Talk about a safe bet! McDonald’s restaurants are among the most identifiable brands in the entire world. The McDonald’s Golden Arches logo has become one of the most ubiquitous marketing symbols ever. Happy Meals, McDonald’s French fries, chicken McNuggets, the Big Mac. McDonald’s has led the way in the innovation of fast-food trends one after another.

Company Founded

1955

Current Leadership

Chris Kempczinski, CEO

Started Franchising

1955 (66 years)

Total Number of Units

39,020 (as of 2020)

Part-Time / Full-Time

Full Time

Stock Ticker Symbol

MCD

How Much Does It Cost To Open A McDonald’s Franchise?

There are several costs associated with opening a McDonald’s franchise. There is typically a franchise fee set by the franchisor, which covers the costs of opening a franchise location. Some other commons fees include equipment fees, marketing fees, licensing fees, insurance, and taxes, to name a few.

Some franchises may have a weekly fee that the franchisee pays for operating a McDonald’s franchise. The weekly fee for opening a McDonald’s franchise is Royalty Fee Due The 10Th.

The full breakdown of these fees can be found in the Financial Disclosure Document (FDD) provided to franchisees by the franchisor. The FDD report will contain additional information such as whether the franchise is renewable (McDonald’s Is Renewable) and does the franchise offer financing support (McDonald’s McDonald’s has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: equipment).

McDonald's Company Details

Here are some additional details about McDonald's.

Initial Investment $45,000
Royalty Fee 4%
Ad Royalty 4%+
Cash Requirement $500,000
Term of Agreement 20 years
Absentee Ownership No
Run from Home No
Part Time No

Training and Support Offered By McDonald’s

McDonald’s offers several support options to its franchisees. With 39,020 (as of 2020) units, McDonald’s aims to provide support to each franchise owner to help them operate a successful franchise location. McDonald’s offers 500 hours (average) on the job training, 72 hours classroom training, and At local McDonald’s restaurant additional training.

Training and Support Offered

Here are the support options offered by McDonald's.

On-The-Job Training 500 hours (average)
Classroom Training 72 hours
Additional Training At local McDonald's restaurant
Ongoing Support
  • Purchasing Co-ops
  • Newsletter
  • Meetings & Conventions
  • Toll-Free Line
  • Grand Opening
  • Online Support
  • Security & Safety Procedures
  • Lease Negotiation
  • Field Operations
  • Site Selection
  • Proprietary Software
Marketing Support
  • Co-op Advertising
  • Ad Templates
  • National Media
  • Regional Advertising
  • Marketing Planning & Support
  • Social Media
  • SEO
  • Website Development
  • Email Marketing
  • Loyalty Program/App

Is McDonald’s Right For You?

McDonald’s has gone digital! Here are all of the ways you can find McDonald’s online. Oftentimes, you can reach out to current franchisees of McDonald’s online. Current franchisees may be able to offer personalized insights into what it is like owning a McDonald’s franchise and offer tips to running a successful McDonald’s franchise location.

Social

Why Should You Start a McDonald’s Franchise?

Investing in a Food franchise such as McDonald's can kickstart your franchise portfolio. Our goal at Why Franchise is to provide you with the resources needed to be a successful franchise owner. Fill out the form below to get more information about McDonald's franchise and we'll be in touch soon!

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