History of McDonald's

The American fast-food restaurant chain McDonald's was founded in 1940 by the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice, and has since grown to the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue. The McDonald brothers began the business in San Bernardino, California where the brothers set out to sell their barbecue. However, burgers were more popular with the public and the business model switched to a carhop drive-in style of restaurant. From the 1940s to the mid-1950s, the brothers expanded their business, even incorporating the famous Golden Arches, until Ray Kroc turned their small business into the well-known and commercially successful business it is today. Kroc convinced the brothers to move into a more self-serve business model and to expand nationwide.
Kroc and the McDonald brothers worked together for several years until conflicts over their visions for what McDonald's as a brand should be came to a climax. Kroc asked the McDonald brothers in 1961 how much they would be willing to leave the business for and the brothers agreed to leave for 2.7 million dollars. Harry J. Sonneborn and Kroc worked together until Sonneborn's resignation in 1967. In the 1970s, McDonald's expanded internationally and still has locations in several countries around the globe. McDonald's operates as one of the largest private employers in the world. Their current CEO is Christopher J. Kempczinski. Their revenue hits about $26 billion every year.
1930s.
The McDonald family moved from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California in the late 1930s, where brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald ("Dick" and "Mac") began working as set movers and handymen at motion-picture studios. In 1937, their father Patrick McDonald opened The Airdrome, a food stand, on Huntington Drive (Route 66) near the Monrovia Airport in the Los Angeles County city of Monrovia.
1940s.
The McDonald's brothers opened their first McDonald's restaurant on May 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California. Originally, a carhop drive-in system was used to serve customers. The initial menu items were centered around barbecue and the first name the brothers used for their business was "McDonald's Famous Barbecue." In 1948, the McDonald brothers realized that most of their profits derived from the sale of hamburgers. They shuttered their successful carhop drive-in to establish a streamlined system with a simple menu that consisted of only hamburgers, cheeseburgers, potato chips, coffee, ice cream, soft drinks, and apple pie.
1950s.
In April 1952, the brothers decided that they needed an entirely new building to achieve two goals: further efficiency improvements and a more eye-catching appearance. They collected recommendations for an architect and interviewed at least four, choosing Stanley Clark Meston, who practiced in nearby Fontana. The brothers and Meston worked together closely in the design of the new building. They achieved the extra efficiencies that they needed by, among other things, drawing the actual measurements of every piece of equipment in chalk on a tennis court behind the McDonald house (with Meston's assistant, Charles Fish).
The new design achieved a great deal of notice for its gleaming surfaces of red and white ceramic tile, stainless steel, brightly colored sheet metal and glass; pulsing red, white, yellow and green neon; and two 25-foot yellow sheet-metal arches trimmed in neon, which they named the "Golden Arches" at the design stage. A third, smaller arch sign at the roadside depicted a pudgy character in a chef's hat known as Speedee striding across the top, trimmed in animated neon. The brothers implemented several techniques to encourage customers to eat more quickly and not to linger in the restaurant, such as reduced heating in the dining area, fixed and angled seating to place customers directly over their food, distance between seats to reduce socialization and cone-shaped cups, which would force customers to hold their drinks while eating.
In late 1953, with only a rendering of Meston's design in hand, the brothers began seeking franchisees. Their first was Neil Fox, a distributor for General Petroleum Corporation. Fox's stand, the first with Meston's golden arches design, opened in May 1953 at 4050 North Central Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix, Arizona. The cost was a flat fee of $1,000 (). His restaurant was the first to employ the McDonald brothers' "Golden Arches" standardized design, created by Southern California architect Stanley Clark Meston and his assistant Charles Fish. Fox's use of the "McDonald's" name came as a surprise to the brothers. One of their franchisees (Charles Cox in North Hollywood, CA) would use the name "Peaks" from 1953 until 1965, but all others would be "McDonald's".
Their second franchisee was the team of Fox's brother-in-law Roger Williams and Burdette "Bud" Landon, both of whom also worked for General Petroleum. Williams and Landon opened their stand on August 18, 1953 at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard in Downey, California. The Downey stand is the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant.
Ray Kroc joins and expands franchise operation.
In 1954, Ray Kroc, a seller of Prince Castle brand Multimixer milkshake machines, learned that the McDonald brothers were using eight of his machines at their San Bernardino restaurant. His curiosity was piqued, and he flew to California to visit the restaurant himself. The McDonald brothers operated six franchise locations.
Believing that the McDonald's formula was a ticket to success, Kroc suggested that the brothers franchise their restaurants throughout the United States. The brothers were skeptical that the self-service approach could succeed in colder, rainier climates; furthermore, their thriving business in San Bernardino, and franchises already operating or planned, made them reluctant to risk a national venture. Kroc offered to assume the major responsibility for establishing the new franchises elsewhere. He returned to his home outside of Chicago with rights to set up McDonald's restaurants throughout the country, except in a handful of territories in California and Arizona already licensed by the McDonald brothers. The brothers were to receive 0.5% of gross sales.
Sonneborn model and shift to real-estate holdings.
In 1956, Ray Kroc met Harry J. Sonneborn, a former vice president of finance for Tastee-Freez, who offered an idea to accelerate the growth and investment grade of Kroc's planned McDonald's operation: to own the real estate upon which future franchises would be built. Kroc hired Sonneborn and his plan was executed by forming a separate company, Franchise Realty Corp, to hold McDonald's real estate. The new company signed leases and procured mortgages for both land and buildings, passing these costs on to the franchisee with a 20-40% markup and a reduced initial deposit of $950. The "Sonneborn model" of real-estate ownership within the franchise persists to this day, and may be the most important financial decision in the company's history. McDonald's present-day real-estate holdings represent $37.7 billion on its balance sheet, about 99% of the company's assets and 35% of its annual gross revenue.
1960s.
By 1960, McDonald's restaurants were grossing $56 million annually. The growth in U.S. automobile use that came with suburbanization and the interstate highway system contributed heavily to McDonald's success. In 1961, Kroc's conflict over the vision of the company with the founding brothers had escalated, and he asked them how much money they wanted to leave their business to him entirely. The brothers asked for $2.7 million ($23.4 million in 2021 dollars), which Kroc did not have. Harry J. Sonneborn was able to raise the money for him, and Kroc bought the founding brothers' interests in the company. This purchase laid the groundwork for positioning the company for an IPO and making McDonald's the top fast-food chain in the country. The exact process by which the company was sold is not known; it is depicted as a hostile takeover by Kroc in the 2016 biographical film "The Founder," but that portrayal has been disputed, and interviews from the time suggest a more voluntary transition.
Kroc and Sonneborn disagreed over expansion of the company, leading to Sonneborn's resignation in 1967. Kroc took over the title of CEO and president.
In 1968, a man named Herman Petty was the first African American to franchise a McDonald's. This came off the heels of the civil rights movement and was informally recognized as African American's initial business entry into McDonald's as a cooperation.
McDonald's success in the 1960s was largely the result of the company's skillful marketing and flexible response to customer demand. In 1962, the Filet-O-Fish sandwich, billed as "the fish that catches people," was introduced. In 1967, the Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, whose franchised McDonald's was in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and was added to McDonald's national menu the next year.
1970s.
In 1970, the first restaurant outside of Northern America opened in San José, Costa Rica. In 1971, McDonald's opened its first European restaurant in Zaandam, Netherlands. The first restaurant in Asia opened in Tokyo, Japan in July 1971, and in December that year, the first German restaurant, which was then in West Germany, opened in Munich–Obergiesing. The first restaurant in Oceania opened in 1971 in Yagoona, Australia.
There was some skepticism about the company's phenomenal growth internationally. When Wally and Hugh Morris approached the corporation in 1974 to bring McDonald's into New Zealand, they were firmly shunned by Kroc who, citing a visit to the country, stated, "There aren't any people... I never met a more dead-than-alive hole in my life." The same year, McDonald’s came to the UK, a restaurant was opened in Woolwich, South East London. The Morris brothers were finally granted a franchise in May 1975. They negotiated a deal with the corporation by selling New Zealand cheese to the U.S. to offset the high costs of importing plant equipment. The first New Zealand restaurant opened in June 1976 in Porirua, near Wellington, to much more success than the corporation had predicted.
In 1972, the National Black McDonald's Operators Association (NBMOA) was founded. Herman Petty, the first African American to franchise a McDonald's, helped establish the association and it soon became a representation of Black people's voices inside of the company.
In 1979, the first McDonald's restaurant in Southeast Asia opened at Liat Towers in Orchard Road, Singapore.
1980s.
The first McDonald's outlet in Malaysia opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang on April 29, 1982.
On October 29, 1985, the first McDonald's restaurant in Mexico opened in Pedregal, Mexico City.
In 1984, the company ran a promotion for the 1984 Olympics saying "When the U.S. wins, you win," promising free food items for each medal the U.S. got. However, the Soviets organized a boycott and with minimal competition, the US dominated, winning 174 medals. Over 6,000 locations faced shortages, and the corporation has never admitted to how much money they lost, though it's estimated to be in the millions.
In 1988, McDonald's Japan introduced prepaid cards at three of its outlets in Tokyo. Intended to make payments faster, it offered cards in 1,000, 3,000 and 5,000 yen denominations.
1990s.
The first McDonald's Express locations opened in 1991. These are smaller-scale prototypes, usually constructed in prefabricated buildings or urban storefronts, that do not feature certain menu items such as milkshakes and Quarter Pounders.
The first McDonald's in Mainland China opened in Dongmen, Shenzhen in October 1990.
The Extra Value Meal, a burger, fries and drink combination deal, was introduced from 1993, originally as part of a "Jurassic Park" tie-in.
On April 28 and 29, 1992, the Taiwan McDonald's bombings occurred when bombs were planted in or near various McDonald's restaurants in Taiwan as part of an extortion attempt, causing the death of a policeman and injuries to four civilians, including two young children, and the temporary closure of all 57 McDonald's locations in that country.
A week later on May 7, Sydney River McDonald's murders took place in Sydney River, Nova Scotia, Canada when a botched robbery committed by employee Derek Wood and two accomplices resulted in the murder of three employees, and the permanent disablement of a fourth employee shot in the head.
On October 12 1992 Mark Hopkins was electrocuted at McDonald's Manchester Arndale store.
McDonald's Japan's 1,000th outlet opened in September 1993. It plans to boost sales by opening a novelty shop selling T-shirts and cotton kimonos emblazoned with golden arches and McDonald's characters and release a video game featuring Ronald McDonald with Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
In 1997, the first McDonald's outlet in Bolivia was opened in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In November 2002, McDonald's closed all its locations in that country, due to cultural rejection from citizens and the government, but especially due to losses from franchisee Arcos Dorados, enabling its exit from the Bolivian market effective November 30, 2002, making Bolivia and Cuba the only Latin American countries without McDonald's. Shortly after its closure, rival chain Burger King acquired its locations.
McDonald's offered pizza options in the 1990s.
2000s.
More than 11,000 McDonald's locations were opened outside the United States after the conclusion of the 1990s. In 2000, a McDonald's in Dearborn, Michigan in Greater Detroit was the first one in Michigan and the only one east of the Mississippi River to offer halal food for Muslim customers.
2010s.
In January 2012, the company announced that revenue for 2011 reached an all-time high of $27 billion, and that 2,400 restaurants would be updated and 1,300 new ones opened worldwide.
In the middle of the decade, the restaurant began to suffer from declining profits. In response, McDonald's began to offer a limited selection of its breakfast menu all day starting in 2015. At first, the launch was unpopular with franchisees who claimed that the changes caused service to slow down. However, the plan paid off with CNBC reporting that the company's fourth quarter earnings "easily topped analysts' forecasts".
On July 22, 2016 the 2016 Munich shooting took place when David Sonboly, an 18-year-old German-Iranian man opened fire at a McDonald's restaurant known to be frequented by immigrants, before shooting at bystanders in the street outside and then in Olympia shopping mall, and then killing himself. Nine people were killed, and 16 more injured.
2020s.
On March 8, 2022, McDonald's suspended operations at all 850 of its locations in Russia, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine twelve days prior. The move comes after similar decisions by other Western companies and pressure from critics. The brand relaunched on June 12, 2022 as 'Vkusno & tochka' (Вкусно и точка, Tasty and that's it) by local franchisee Alexander Govor.
References.
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McDonald's Australia
McDonald's Restaurants (Australia) Limited (also trading as "Macca's") is the Australia subsidiary of the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. Its first location opened in 1976. In 2017 McDonald's Australia had 167 restaurants operating nationwide, serving an estimated one million people each week. The company earned revenues of over $250 million in the 2018 financial year.
References.
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McDonald's New Zealand
Restaurant chain in New Zealand
McDonald's Restaurants (New Zealand) Limited (also trading as "Macca's") is the New Zealand subsidiary of the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. Its first location opened in 1976. In 2017 McDonald's New Zealand had 167 restaurants operating nationwide, serving an estimated one million people each week. The company earned revenues of over $250 million in the 2018 financial year.
As with McDonald's locations worldwide, the franchise primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. In response to changing consumer tastes, the company has expanded its menu to include salads, fish, wraps, smoothies, and fruit. The company also operates the Georgie Pie and McCafé chains within many of its stores; through the latter McDonald's is the largest coffee shop brand in the country.
McDonald's New Zealand operations are based in Greenlane, Auckland.
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History.
1970s.
The first McDonald's restaurant in New Zealand opened on Cobham Court in central Porirua on Monday 7 June 1976, however it was not officially opened until the following Saturday. The original menu featured the Big Mac (75 cents), Quarter Pounder (65c), Quarter Pounder with Cheese (75c), Filet-O-Fish (65c), cheeseburger (40c) and hamburger (30c).
Problems were encountered opening the restaurant due to strict import laws at the time, which limited importing of overseas products that could be produced in New Zealand. The kitchen for the Porirua restaurant was imported on the condition that it was to allow local companies to reproduce it, and it was to be sent back after 12 months. However, the kitchen had been cemented into the floor and removing parts of it while still maintaining the restaurant operation meant it was impossible. The New Zealand affiliate eventually negotiated with the corporation to import more kitchens in exchange for a large surplus of cheese the New Zealand Dairy Board (now Fonterra) had.
Once the Porirua restaurant was open, there were additional problems with the supply chain, with frequent industrial unrest often shutting down suppliers without warning for weeks on end. An industrial dispute shut down the bun supplier in mid-1976, resulting in McDonald's staff having to drive all over Wellington to find substitute buns, and then cutting the sesame seed buns for the Big Mac using two bandsaws placed side-by-side. Beef patties were initially supplied from the Gear Meat Company in Petone, although supply was haphazard until a purpose-built meat forming machine was acquired in 1977. Like many other companies at the time, Gear Meat was plagued by industrial unrest and closed down without warning in 1982, leaving McDonald's to import beef patties from Australia. The affiliate acquired Gear Meat's patty-forming machine and moved it to Auckland to secure production. By coincidence, part of Gear Meat's former site now contains a McDonald's restaurant.
The second New Zealand restaurant opened in the old Auckland Savings Bank Building on Queen Street, Auckland in July 1977. Restaurants in New Lynn and Lower Hutt opened in 1978, being the first with drive-throughs. By the end of the decade, restaurants had also opened in Takapuna, Henderson, and Courtenay Place (central Wellington).
1980s.
By late 1987, there were 25 McDonald's restaurants across the North Island, in Whangārei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Gisborne, Hastings, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Palmerston North, and Wellington.
The first South Island restaurants opened on 3 November 1987 at Merivale and Linwood in Christchurch. Problems finding franchisees meant the opening of the third restaurant at Riccarton was delayed until February 1988, while the franchisees of the Whangārei restaurant transferred south to the Merivale restaurant on the possibility of a second restaurant in the future. Both restaurants almost broke worldwide opening day records, just losing the title due to a poor exchange rate. A branch opened in Dunedin on 13 December 1988.
1990s.
In 1990, McDonald's purchased a former car yard site for its Taupō restaurant, which opened in November that year. The site came with a decommissioned Douglas DC-3 aircraft, complete with intact cockpit. The plane has become a tourist landmark, and now contains a seating area for diners.
The 50th New Zealand McDonald's restaurant opened in 1991 at Chartwell Square Mall, Hamilton. The 100th restaurant opened five years later at the Auckland University of Technology. Breakfast meals were introduced in the same year, first at the Auckland Queen Street restaurant before expanding nationally.
McDonald's purchased the fast-food chain Georgie Pie from Progressive Enterprises in 1996. The Georgie Pie chain closed in 1998, with half of the 32 restaurants converting to McDonald's and the remainder sold off. In 1998, New Zealand's first McCafé opened in the Queen Street restaurant.
From 1997 to 1999 the company endorsed "McDonald's Young Entertainers", a televised talent show for young New Zealanders.
2000s.
In 2004, the Happy Meal children's menu celebrated 25 years since its introduction in 1979. In the same year, nutrition labelling was introduced to packaging on McDonald's core menu items.
In 2009, the original Porirua McDonald's restaurant in Cobham Court closed, replaced by a new restaurant with drive-through a short distance away in Kenepuru Drive.
2010s.
In May 2013, McDonald's announced it would bring Georgie Pie back on a trial basis, selling a single pie flavour through several McDonald's restaurants in the Upper North Island. Later in October, it announced it would roll out Georgie Pie to all McDonald's restaurants nationwide, excluding those who could not accommodate the necessary equipment. The Georgie Pie menu items were discontinued in September 2020.
Create your taste.
In 2014 McDonald's introduced 'Create Your Taste' to New Zealand. The customer creates a gourmet burger from scratch on the touch-screen "kiosk" and the burger, fries and drink are delivered to them at their table. A related competition invited customers to submit their burger creations to the McDonald's website and relied on users to vote for their favourite design. The competition was pulled in July 2016 after website users created burgers with offensive names.
All Day Breakfast.
Following the United States and Australia, McDonald's launched the All Day Breakfast menu in New Zealand on 4 May 2016. The menu consists of a limited range of breakfast products, which are:
All Day Breakfast was discontinued in 2021.
40th Anniversary.
McDonald's celebrated 40 years in New Zealand on 7 June 2016; the Queen Street Auckland restaurant marked the anniversary with 1970s retro service and items on the original menu sold at their 1976 prices. At that date, McDonald's had 166 restaurants operating in New Zealand; a 167th restaurant at Silverstream, Upper Hutt was closed awaiting rebuilding after it caught fire in February 2016.
Shooting at Upper Hutt store.
A man was shot dead by police after firing a shot at the Upper Hutt McDonald's in 2015. He was later identified as Pera Smiler, 25 of Upper Hutt.
Te Reo Māori.
In 2018, the Hastings restaurant became the first in the country to offer a menu written in te reo Māori.
Happy Meal Reader's Program (2019).
In February 2019, McDonald's extended its global Happy Meal Reader's Program to New Zealand where they added the choice of books with Happy Meal to encourage reading among children. They announced to give away 800,000 copies of Roald Dahl books over the course of 12 months, where they will introduce a new book each month.
2020s.
On 12 February 2025, McDonald's was denied a consent application to build a drive-through restaurant in Wanaka. The fast food chain was planning to build a 445 sq metre drive-through restaurant at the Wanaka-Luggate highway below Mount Iron. While McDonalds' had initially proposed that the restaurant operated 24 hours daily seven days a week, the chain downscaled its plans to a 6am-11pm daily opening with a reduced logo. The Queenstown Lakes District Council received over 350 submissions on the Wanaka restaurant, with 90% opposing the proposal. Commissioners declined the proposal, citing strong local opposition.
Delivery.
McDonald's announced McDelivery, a delivery service, would start being trialed in Auckland starting 20 July 2016 in New Lynn and Glenfield. All deliveries will require a $25 order and incur a $7.50 delivery fee.
Products.
McDonald's New Zealand sells products consistent with its international markets – including the chain's signature product, the Big Mac. Items unique to the New Zealand menu include:
In 2016[ [update]], McDonald's bought more than NZ$150 million worth of local produce for its New Zealand restaurants.
In 2018, the limited-time Cookie Time McFlurry was available a week prior to launch on Uber Eats.
Franchisees and employment relations.
McDonald's New Zealand has union representation. This has led to demands for equal pay with other fast food sector employees, such as those in KFC. There were also protests about favouritism of police officers and the accused harassment of one member staff for being gay. The demand for higher wages ultimately led to a strike which began on 22 May 2013 in the Bunny St McDonald's in Wellington.
In May 2013, the National Government reintroduced a youth minimum wage for 16- and 17-year-olds at 80 percent of the adult minimum wage. McDonald's was one of seven major companies employing young people to reject a youth minimum wage and insisting young employees be paid at least the adult minimum wage.
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Richard and Maurice McDonald
American fast food company founders
Richard "Dick" McDonald (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice "Mac" McDonald (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the McDonald brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's.
The brothers opened the original McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that became the standard for the fast food industry. After hiring Ray Kroc as their franchise agent in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.
Early life.
The McDonald brothers were born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Irish Roman Catholic parents Patrick James from Dingle and Margaret Anna Curran McDonald, who came to the United States as children. Maurice was born in 1902, and Richard was born in 1909. In the 1920s, the family moved to California, where Patrick opened a food stand in Monrovia in 1937.
Careers.
The first restaurant the McDonald brothers opened in 1937 was in Los Angeles. In the 1940s the McDonald brothers operated a successful drive-in restaurant, but found several factors were cutting into their profits. Some of the more expensive menu items, such as barbecue sandwiches, were rarely ordered, and they used actual dishes, which were constantly lost or broken, plus the reputation of drive-ins becoming seedy hangouts for teenagers was driving whole families away.
In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of their nine most profitable and cost-effective items: In addition to their 15-cent hamburger, the menu included a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, and a slice of pie. Their restaurant was about a mile from route 66 at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. The site is now a museum. The first months of the revived restaurant were a struggle, as many customers expected carhops to serve them like other drive-in restaurants, rather than having to walk up to the restaurant's window to order. The brothers persisted, keeping their simple menu, aside from replacing the potato chips with french fries. The restaurant soon appealed to drivers on the go who could get a quick meal with no waiting, and it also appealed to families that could eat a whole meal cheaply.
The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50, the McDonald brothers began franchising their restaurant system in 1953. The first franchise was a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, operated by Neil Fox.
The brothers drew the attention of Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman for Prince Castle. After they purchased eight of his Multi-Mixers for their San Bernardino, California restaurant, Kroc visited that restaurant in 1954. That year the McDonald brothers hired Kroc as their franchise agent. Kroc took 1.9% of gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5%.
Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint. Kroc eventually decided he wanted control of the company entirely. Kroc bought the company in 1961 for $2,700,000 (), calculated so as to ensure each brother received $1,000,000 () after taxes.
At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location to him. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed "The Big M" because the brothers had not retained the rights to the name. "The Big M" closed six years later. Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets over the situation.
On November 30, 1984, Richard McDonald, the first cook behind the grill of a McDonald's, was served the ceremonial 50 billionth McDonald's hamburger by Ed Rensi, then-president of McDonald's USA, at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York City.
Death and legacy.
Maurice McDonald died from heart failure at his home in Palm Springs, California, on December 11, 1971, at the age of 69.
Richard McDonald also died from heart failure in a nursing home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89. He was buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester.
In the 2016 film "The Founder", a biopic about Ray Kroc and his business relationship with the McDonald brothers, Richard (Dick) McDonald is played by Nick Offerman, and John Carroll Lynch portrays Maurice (Mac) McDonald.
The site of the first McDonald's was purchased in 1998 by Albert Okura, founder of restaurant chain Juan Pollo, who moved his company's headquarters to the location and established an unofficial McDonald's museum on the site.
References.
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McDonald's France
French subsidiary of international fast food chain McDonald's
McDonald's France, colloquially called McDo, is the French subsidiary of the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. Its first location opened in 1972 by franchisee Raymond Dayan in Creteil, France, although the company itself still recognizes the first outlet as opening in Strasbourg in 1979. McDonald's France currently has over 1,485 restaurants operating nationwide, serving an estimated forty-six million people each week.
McDonald's French operations are based in Guyancourt, Yvelines.
History.
According to McDonald's official history, the chain created its first restaurant in France in 1979. However, in reality, the first "McDo" in France opened its doors on June 30, 1972, in Créteil, a suburb of Paris, thanks to the initiative of French businessman Raymond Dayan, who had signed a franchise agreement with the company. Since McDonald's didn't believe that the hamburger would be successful in the country of gastronomy, the contract authorized the Frenchman to create up to 150 restaurants over thirty years for a royalty of only 1.5% of the turnover instead of the usual 10 to 20%.
Due to its success, by the end of the decade, Dayan had 14 establishments that sold almost twice as much as in any other country, and McDonald's offered to buy his restaurants. However, Dayan refused, and McDonald's filed a lawsuit against him for non-compliance with production and hygiene standards, which they won in 1982 after a long legal battle. Dayan kept his restaurants, but he had to rename them O'Kitch and eventually sold them to Quick restaurants in 1986.
Without even waiting for the end of the lawsuit, McDonald's opened a restaurant in Strasbourg in 1979.
In 2009, McDonald's France modified its logo, replacing the red color with green, in a marketing strategy to fight against the reputation of being environmentally unconscious and present a greener image.
Menu.
As with McDonald's locations worldwide, the franchise primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. In response to changing consumer tastes, the company has expanded its menu to include salads, fish, wraps, smoothies, and fruit. The company also operates the McCafé chain within many of its stores. McDonald's in France is known for its pastries such as croissants, doughnuts, pain au chocolat, and macarons. There is also a McBaguette, introduced in 2012, filled with two burger patties, two slices of Emmental cheese, lettuce, and French mustard. It is typically offered seasonally and resurged in popularity in 2022 after being featured in the TV series "Emily in Paris".
Technology.
In 2016, in what U.S. media described as "McDonald's of the future," over 90% of McDonald's France had self-ordering touchscreen kiosks. McDonald's France smartphone app, "GoMcDo", was one of the first in France to offer integration with Apple's Passbook.
McDonald's France also has introduced reusable tableware in an effort to cut down on food waste. The tableware has been praised internationally for its aesthetics and design language.
References.
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Oldest McDonald's restaurant
United States historic places
The oldest McDonald's restaurant that is still in business operation is a drive-up hamburger stand at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard at Florence Avenue in Downey, California, United States. Opened on August 18, 1953, it is the third McDonald's restaurant outlet to be opened and is the second restaurant franchised by Richard and Maurice McDonald, before the involvement of Ray Kroc in the company. The outlet still retains the original, standardized Golden Arches façade design and is one of Downey's main tourist attractions. Along with its sign, it was deemed eligible for addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, although it was not added at the time because the owner objected.
The site of the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California is now occupied by an outlet that is the de facto headquarters of the "Juan Pollo" chicken restaurant chain, with an unofficial museum nearby.
History of the oldest operating McDonald's in Downey, California.
The original owners of the Downey, California McDonald's were Roger Williams, the brother-in-law of McDonald's first franchisee Neil Fox, and his business partner Bud Landon. Williams and Fox worked for Occidental Petroleum and used their expertise in siting Occidental gasoline stations in choosing the location. Like the McDonald brothers' other franchisees, they were required to use Stanley Clark Meston's design.
The purchase of the chain from the McDonald brothers by Ray Kroc did not affect the Downey restaurant, as it was franchised under an agreement with the McDonald brothers, not with Kroc's company McDonald's Systems, Inc., which later became McDonald's Corporation. As a result, the restaurant was not subject to the modernization requirements that McDonald's Corporation placed on its franchisees. Its menu came to differ from that of other McDonald's restaurants, and lacked items such as the Big Mac that were developed by the corporation. In part due to these differences, as well as a corporate McDonald's opening in the mid-1970s less than half a mile away, the restaurant suffered from poor sales, and was eventually acquired by McDonald's Corporation in 1990, when it was the only remaining McDonald's that was independent of the chain.
With low sales, damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the lack of a drive-up window and indoor seating, the restaurant was closed, and McDonald's planned to demolish it and incorporate some of its features in a modern "retro" restaurant nearby. However, it was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 1994 list of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. With both the public and preservationists demanding the restaurant be saved, McDonald's spent two years restoring the restaurant and reopened it. Customers can visit the restored restaurant and an adjoining gift shop and museum.
Other early McDonald's restaurants still in operation.
A restaurant built in 1962 at 2434 Almaden Road in San Jose, California, is the only other remaining early McDonald's still in operation in California, although a modern restaurant is now attached to it. This location is listed as one of the city's historic resources.
Other early McDonald's restaurant locations.
Original location (demolished).
The McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant adjacent to the Monrovia Airport in 1937. It was a tiny octagonal building informally called The Airdrome. That octagonal building was later moved to 1398 North E Street in San Bernardino, California in 1940. It was originally a barbecue drive-in, but the brothers discovered that most of their profits came from hamburgers. In 1948, they closed their restaurant for three months, reopening it in December as a walk-up hamburger stand that sold hamburgers, potato chips, and orange juice; the following year, french fries and Coca-Cola were added to the menu. This simplified menu, and food preparation using assembly line principles, allowed them to sell hamburgers for 15 cents, or about half as much as at a sit-down restaurant. The restaurant was very successful, and the brothers started to franchise the concept in 1953.
The original hexagonal McDonald's hamburger stand in San Bernardino was demolished in 1953 and replaced by a building in the now familiar Golden Arches style. In an oversight, the McDonald brothers failed to retain rights to the McDonald's name when they sold the chain to Kroc, and were forced to rename it "The Big M". It went out of business and was demolished in 1972, although part of the sign remains.
The site of the original McDonald's was purchased in 1998 by Albert Okura, owner of the "Juan Pollo" outlet, for $135,000 in a foreclosure sale. Okura turned the property into the headquarters for his chain of restaurants and opened an unofficial McDonald's museum on the site, which, Okura refers to as the "historic site of the original McDonald's". Okura said though he did not intend to open the museum, an erroneous news story that mentioned he was planning on opening a museum gave him the idea; former employees and customers sent the museum many of the items on display.
Store #2 (demolished).
The second outlet opened in North Hollywood, California on Victory Blvd on August 1, 1953, licensed by McDonald's and operated as Peaks, was demolished in 1986 for an Arby’s.
Store #7 (no longer a McDonald's).
The seventh McDonald's, at 1057 East Mission Boulevard in Pomona, California, opened in 1954 and closed as a McDonald's in 1968. It later became a taco stand, and as of 2020, was a doughnut shop. It is currently the second-oldest existing McDonald's building after the Downey location.
Store #9 (demolished).
Kroc's 1955 McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, the 9th in the chain, was demolished in 1984, but a replica was built on the original foundation and was described as the McDonald's No. 1 Store Museum. The replica was also demolished due to repeated issues with flooding, with the sign removed in January 2018.
Store #11 (demolished).
The 11th McDonald's at 1900 South Central Avenue in Los Angeles, later a taco restaurant, was demolished in 2016.
Other locations.
The site of the first franchised McDonald's restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, opened in 1953 or 1954, is now a Yoshi’s.
An early McDonald's stood at 9100 SE Powell Boulevard in Portland, Oregon, on Southeast 91st Avenue and Powell Boulevard. It was not attached to the adjacent McDonald's but was available for party rentals. It was demolished on February 22, 2018, and the site was occupied by the expanded modernized McDonald's outlet.
Historic signs.
An older single-arch McDonald's sign of historic significance is located outside McDonald's restaurant #91, 1587 Shawano Avenue in Green Bay, Wisconsin, dates from 1959, was restored in 2005, and still operates. The sign is located in front of a modern, retro-styled McDonald's restaurant.
A single-arch McDonald's sign at 2801 S. Olive Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, dating from 1962, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 although the McDonald's at that location is modern.
References.
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International availability of McDonald's products
Evolving state of product availability
McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: [ MCD]) is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. McDonald's traces its origins to a 1940 restaurant in San Bernardino, California, United States. After expanding within the United States, McDonald's became an international corporation in 1967, when it opened a location in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. By the end of the 1970s, McDonald's restaurants existed in five of the Earth's seven continents; an African location came in 1992 in Casablanca, Morocco.
In order to cater to local tastes and culinary traditions, and often in respect of particular laws or religious beliefs, McDonald's offers regionalized versions of its menu among and within different countries. As a result, products found in one country or region may not be found in McDonald's restaurants in other countries or their ingredients may differ significantly. For example, Indian McDonald's does not serve beef/pork products.
Africa.
Egypt.
In 2001, McDonald's introduced the McFalafel sandwich in its Egypt locations. These restaurants also offer a Chicken Big Mac and Fish Mac, variations on the standard Big Mac which substitute breaded chicken or fish, respectively, for the usual beef patties. In the summer of 2008, McDonald's introduced fish fingers with tartar dipping sauce as a side in Egyptian restaurants. Early 2010 saw the introduction of Egyptian cookies to the Cairo location. McDonald's has almost 70 locations throughout the country.
Morocco.
The McArabia, a grilled chicken sandwich from Morocco. In 2005, a product called the McSahara was briefly sold. In late 2006, the Chicken Mythic, "Petit Plaisirs" ("small pleasures," a sandwich usually made from chicken or beef), and a 280-gram Recette Moutarde ("mustard burger") were released. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a special menu is offered for the breaking of the fast, including local specialties such as dates, milk, and harira.
South Africa.
Some of the items listed at a location in Cape Town include:
Others include:
Asia.
Bahrain.
As in all McDonald's locations in the Islamic Middle East, food in Bahraini locations is halal. In addition to the McArabia, Bahraini locations offer, beginning in March 2009, the McCrispy, a meal consisting of up to four chicken fingers with a choice of barbecue, ketchup, sweet and sour, or garlic sauce.
China.
In China, Chicken McNuggets can come with the traditional barbecue, sweet and sour, honey and hot mustard sauces; or even a special chili garlic sauce, which is popular in China. Chinese menus also include crispy spicy chicken wings, called McWings. All chicken burgers offered in Chinese McDonald's use thigh fillet (e.g., Premium Grilled Thigh Fillet Burger, Hot and Spicy Grilled Thigh Fillet Burger), rather than breast meat, which is preferred in western countries.
Unique ice cream flavors such as Matcha Green Tea ice cream is available.
Pies come in two standard flavors: pineapple or taro, although special flavors including chocolate, apple, banana, and azuki bean have also been offered on a limited basis.
There is a seasonal Chinese New Year meal available, including the Grilled Chicken Burger and curly fries, with a horoscope of the twelve zodiac animals of Chinese astrology and traditional red envelopes.
Hong Kong.
Hong Kong hosts some of the world's busiest McDonald's, with many operating 24 hours a day. Breakfasts include pasta soups with sausage or chicken. Locations offer cups of corn as substitutes for French fries or à la carte. Desserts include soft serve ice cream in azuki bean and mung bean flavours; pineapple or red bean sundaes are sometimes offered.
A selection of seasonal or other limited-time foods is available, such as spicy French fries, the Shogun Burger (a teriyaki pork patty with lettuce served on a sesame seed bun), salads, soups such as tomato and pumpkin, taco flatbreads, the Rice Fantastic (a burger-like entree with rice patties instead of buns). Other such specialities have included shrimp burgers, Wasabi Filet O' Fish, onion rings, and Shake Shake fries, flavoured French fries in flavours such as seaweed, chargrill, French onion, and salt and pepper. During the local Bun Festival, restaurants on the island of Cheung Chau sell mushroom burgers instead of hamburgers and other meat products.
Toys, gifts, and other non-food promotional items are offered from time to time.
India.
Indian McDonalds serve the Chicken Maharaja Mac, a grilled chicken double patty with habanero sauce and Veg Maharaja Mac, a cheese and corn double patty with cocktail sauce. Apart from these, the McSpicy burgers/wraps, McGrill and Pizza McPuff are sold in India. Mc Aloo Tikki, Mc Veggie, Mc Chicken, Mc Egg, Filet-o-fish burger, chicken wraps, veg wraps, chicken kebab burger is very popular in India. Recent additions in India include rice bowls, biriyani and naan wraps.
Past promotional items have included the McPaneer and Grilled Chicken Royale, Mexican Spice Chicken and Veg, Asian Hot Garlic Dip and African Peri Peri Shake Shake (as part of the Spice Fest) Indi-McSpicy and the McCurry Pan.
McDonald's in India do not serve beef nor pork products, in deference to Hindu and Muslim beliefs respectively. Vegetarian and meat based meals are prepared in separate areas of the restaurant due to religious laws; cooks preparing vegetarian dishes wear a distinctive green apron and non vegetarian cooks wear a red apron.
Indonesia.
To accommodate Muslim-majority population, all McDonald's restaurants in Indonesia are certified halal, which means they do not serve bacon or pork patties, while serving only beef, chicken, and fish. Local items include crispy and spicy fried chicken; the McRice, a small mound of steamed rice wrapped in paper and available to supersize; McSoup, a chicken flavored soup with bits of croutons and vegetables; and "Buryam" (short for "bubur ayam" or chicken congee), later renamed as "Bubur Ayam Spesial" with the addition of fried egg topping. "Sambal" chili sauce, an essential component of Indonesian cuisine, and tomato ketchup are available as condiments.
McDonald's fried chicken, McRice, and fruit tea are sold together as PaNas ("paket nasi" or "rice package") with an additional sachet of "sambal" chili sauce. This adopts the Indonesian way of consuming "ayam goreng" (fried chicken) with steamed rice and "sambal".
Other than fried chicken with rice and "bubur ayam" chicken rice congee, locals' preference of rice-based food is accommodated further by the introduction of Chicken with Spicy Tomato and Chicken Teriyaki, which is a bowl of steamed rice topped with strips of fried chicken patty with sauces and vegetables, similar to the Japanese donburi (rice bowl) fashion of serving.
McDonald's Indonesia also promotes some seasonal foods, sold only within a limited certain period of time. Those limited periods include Chinese New Year, Ramadhan, and Independence Day specials.
During Chinese New Year, a Beef Prosperity Burger, consisting of two beef patties covered in black pepper sauce and topped with diced onions, is sold.
During Ramadan, McDonald's Indonesia has offered BBQ Beef Flatbread (2014), Curry Beef Delight (2015), Moroccan Burger (2016), Ayam Kremes (2017 and 2018, with addition of Nasi Uduk), Ayam Serundeng Sambal Terasi (2019), Ayam Spesial Sambal Bawang (2020), and Ayam Gulai (2021).
In certain periods, such as August (the month of Indonesian independence), McDonald's Indonesia launches local-inspired dishes, which change annually. For example, in 2016, McDonald's offered Burger Sate, McFlurry Rujak Pedas, and Markisa soda tea. In 2020, dishes such as the Burger Nasi Goreng, a hamburger with sweet and savoury sauce, Kentang Goreng Gulai Gurih (gulai flavoured french fries) with Soda Asam Jawa (tamarind soda) and Es Kopi Durian Jelly Float (durian flavour ice coffee) were released. Locally inspired desserts include McFlurry with Teh botol and Cone Top Es Teler (Es teler flavour ice cream).
Israel.
The only entirely kosher McDonald's are in Israel and Argentina. In these locations, patties are barbecued on charcoal rather than fried. Some kosher locations serve milk-based desserts, but in separate booths, allowing for full separation of dairy and meat products in food preparation areas. However, most of the McDonald's outlets in Israel are not kosher service, as they serve cheeseburgers, which mix dairy and meat products.
Specialty items in Israeli McDonald's include the McShawarma and McKebab, both served on flatbread. On January 18, 2011, McDonald's introduced the McFalafel sandwich in Israel, but withdrew the item six months later. Within the last few years they have added a vegetarian option, corn sticks (which are bite-sized corn schnitzels).
Japan.
Regular menu items in Japanese McDonald's include the Teriyaki McBurger, with ground pork patties, mayonnaise, lettuce, and teriyaki sauce; Shaka Shaka Chicken, a fried chicken strip served in a paper pouch, with cheese or pepper seasonings to shake in the bag; and the Fillet-O-Ebi (shrimp), with a fried shrimp patty and mustard. Breakfast options include a hot dog with pickle relish, ketchup, and mustard, then for lunch and dinner they serve the Chilli McHotdog with egg and chilli sauce. As well as regular soft drinks (which in Japan include grape & melon flavoured Fanta and iced tea), McDonald's in Japan also serve cartons of milk, Minute Maid orange juice, oolong tea, and Yasai Seikatsu mixed vegetable juice.
Seasonal and limited-time items have included:
Some other limited-edition burgers in Japan have been marketed based on different regions of America, such as Idaho burgers.
On United States military establishments in Japan (like the US Naval Base in Yokosuka and US Naval Base in Sasebo), both American and Japanese menus are sold, depending on availability.
Malaysia.
Correlating with most Muslim-majority markets, all McDonald's in Malaysia adhere to Islamic dietary laws (halal) under the supervision of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia. Two Syarie experts are also appointed by the government to advise McDonald's on its food preparation. Thus, meat is slaughtered via the halal technique, while pork and bacon are absent in the Malaysian menu.
Among the local bestsellers in the Malaysian market is the Ayam Goreng McD, originally branded as McDonald's Fried Chicken, introduced in March 1986. The product's name was changed to Chicken McCrispy in 2000 and again to Ayam Goreng McD in 2002 to complement the country's culture. There are two variants of the fried chicken: Regular and Spicy. A third version of Fried Chicken – Extra Spicy Ayam Goreng – was periodically available from July to November 2019, November to December 2021 and August 2023.
The Malaysian McDonald's first approach on embracing the local tastebuds commenced in July 2002 by the debut of Bubur Ayam McD ("McD's Chicken Porridge"), chicken strips in rice congee with scallions, sliced ginger, fried shallots, and diced chilies; The success of Bubur Ayam McD has spread the porridge to be introduced into the regional McDonald's markets in Indonesia and Thailand. A close spin-off of the product, the Bubur Ikan McD ("McD's Fish Porridge") also led suit, albeit the latter was only served as a periodical offer.
Among other popular menu items distinct to the Malaysian market includes the Spicy Chicken McDeluxe, a burger with crispy marinated chicken thigh, lettuce and special sauce in a cornmeal bun; the GCB ("Grilled Chicken Burger"), grilled chicken thigh, with iceberg lettuce and chargrilled sauce, served in a toasted sesame seed bun; Nasi Lemak McD, coconut rice set served with traditional sambal sauce, fried chicken, cucumber slices and sunny side up egg; and iced Milo drink. Concurrently, some of the items that are commonly available in the international market has since being discontinued in the Malaysian outlet, including Big N' Tasty and Quarter Pounder.
Similar to McDonald's' business design worldwide, periodical and limited-time offers also generally included in the menu, specialties inspired from local, international and fusion menus have ushered the arrival of Nasi Lemak Burger, Thai Fish Burger with Green Curry Sauce, Hawaiian Deluxe Burger, Mexicana Chicken Burger, Burger "Syok" (A Malaysian-styled Burger), among few. Specialty desserts and drinks have included Hershey's Sundae, D24 Durian McFlurry Party, Cendol Sundae, Salted Caramel Pie, Banana Caramel Pie, Red Velvet McFlurry, Lychee Pie, Coconut Pie, Pulut Hitam (Black Glutinous Rice) Pie, Bandung drink and Pie à la Mode. Some of the temporary food-items also would later occasionally return on a periodical basis such in the case of Hot & Spicy McShaker Fries, Spicy Nuggets, Samurai (Japanese styled Burger), Spicy Korean Burger and Rio (Brazilian inspired Burger); while a few being absorbed to be a common Malaysian McDonald's fixture, as the case of GCB Burger, first available briefly in 2010, it later constitute as a permanent item since 2013.
McDonald's Malaysia has also introduced seasonal menus to commemorate major festivals and celebration in the multiracial country. Since 1994, McDonalds Malaysia launched Prosperity Burger during the Chinese New Year festival, the menu was then introduced to Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The burger come in beef and chicken varieties, with black pepper sauce, topped with fresh onions in a sesame seed bun. Additionally, between 2015 and 2018, and in 2021–2024, McDonalds Malaysia has also included Golden Prosperity Burger in the seasonal menu, with a slice of hash brown is also added on the burger patties; and Fish Prosperity Burger, a fish-based option for the menu between 2019 and 2020. The Prosperity Burger is usually served together with curly fries. While during the Muslim holy month of Ramadhan since 2015, the chain would offer the Foldover (equivalent to the McArabia) to its customers, there are two variants of the foldover: Lazeez Foldover (Lazeez, which means "delicious" in Arabic) chicken patties with garlic sauce; and the Mashwi Foldover (Mashwi, meaning "food" in standard Arabic) is grilled beef topped with hot sauce.
In August 2019, the chain also momentary adopted the local pronunciation of "Mekdi" as its alternate name, an act on celebrating its local market during the Malaysian National Day. In 2020, there are 16 Malaysian outlets that endorsed the name as a temporary fixture on its signboard.
In May 2023, McDonald's Malaysia has announced the discontinuation of the Quarter Pounder along with the Spicy Beef Deluxe. Due to the announcement, both of the menus were heavily discounted from its original price for a limited amount of time to clear up the remaining stock. The offer lasted until it was discontinued in the beginning of August 2023 along with the Mega Mac. Other burgers such as Double GCB, Double Spicy Chicken McDeluxe, Double Filet-O-Fish and the Triple Cheeseburger can still be ordered on the menu with additional charges.
Pakistan.
McDonald's Pakistan currently operates 71 outlets across 24 major cities nationwide, serving millions of customers. In Pakistan, McDonald's first outlet was established in Lahore, followed by a second outlet a week later in Karachi, in September 1998. Its franchise locations include Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad, Quetta, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sukkur, Sheikhupura, Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Gujrat, Sahiwal, Abbottabad, Jhelum and Bahawalpur. The largest number of outlets is in Lahore, followed by Karachi and Islamabad-Rawalpindi.
All McDonald's outlets in Pakistan are certified halal. McDonald's Pakistan menu consists of a variety of chicken, beef, fish, hamburgers and cheeseburgers along with fried chicken, nuggets french fries etc. In addition to this, McDonald's Pakistan also serves several types of fruit pies, desserts, ice creams etc. It also serves juices, shakes and soft drinks in beverages. McCafé of McDonald's serves a large variety of items including cappuccinos, muffins, lattes, frappés, hot chocolates and cakes etc. In March 2019, McDonald's introduced a new food item in Pakistan named Bun Kabab (a local variation of Anday Wala Burger). In Pakistan, all menu items of McDonald's with the exception of ice cream cones are available for delivery.
Philippines.
Most Filipinos colloquially refer to McDonald's as "McDo" (shortened and equivalent to "Mickey D's"), and the term has been adapted by McDonald's Philippines, even naming most of their products after the term. (However, the use of "McDo" in an official capacity has been discontinued by the end of 2019 and it is now referred to its full form, McDonald's, except in item names.) Menu items in McDonald's in the Philippines include McSpaghetti, Chicken McDo, Burger McDo and McCrispy Chicken Sandwich, to compete with the country's largest fast-food retail Jollibee. From 2001 to 2003/2006 to 2007, the McRice, steamed rice formed into buns, was available as a replacement for bread buns on beef and chicken sandwiches. Breakfast menus include longaniza, a Philippine sausage, served with rice and a fried egg, and the Hamdesal, a Pandesal bun with pineapple glaze syrup, mayonnaise, and Canadian bacon served with scrambled eggs, cheese, or both. It also has the Cheesy Eggdesal, with Pandesal, cheese and scrambled eggs.
Some pies come in pineapple and taro flavors, although the McDonald's Apple Pie is served in all locations. Only select locations serve milkshakes. Twister Fries is also served seasonally, as well as Shake Shake Fries, which are McDonald's French Fries that come in a paper bag and served with a packet of flavored powder (Barbeque, Cheesy Butter, Sour Cream, Ketchup, and Pizza flavors); customers must administer the flavoring to the bag of fries themselves, shaking the bag until the powder is evenly distributed among the fries. They are available annually.
There is an option with the name Mix and Match Mcdo in the Philippines which lets you select from a variety of items in a fixed and discounted price.
McDonald's in the Philippines also promotes movie tie-in products seasonally, such as the Banana-Oreo McFlurry and Banana McFloat during the release of "Minions" in 2015.
Saudi Arabia.
All McDonald's in Saudi Arabia are certified halal. Saudi locations serve the Spicy McChicken, McArabia, and the Big Tasty, the latter of which is also available in some European locations.
Singapore.
Singaporean locations offer the McSpicy, a spicy chicken burger. A 24-hour McDelivery service is available in all locations on the island. All McDonalds outlets in Singapore are halal certified, to accommodate the Muslim population.
In 2011, due to congestion at the United States' West Coast ports, the popular curry sauce dip for Chicken McNuggets was unavailable for a period of time, causing a public outcry. A similar crisis happened in 2015.
In July 2016, McDonald's launched a limited edition take-home bottle of the curry sauce (375ml), which was limited to four purchases per single receipt. The product was overwhelmingly popular and several outlets ran out of stock on the item extremely quickly.
McDonald's has also introduced several special additions to the Singapore menu, such as the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Burger in 2016, coupled with salt & pepper shaker fries and Gula Melaka McFlurry.
McDonald's also introduced new and upgraded products related to Singapore's National Day and public holidays (e.g. Lunar New Year, SG50).
South Korea.
McDonald's locations in South Korea serve a shrimp burger as well as a Bulgogi Burger, a pork patty in bulgogi marinade. The bulgogi-flavored sauce was developed by Ottogi, a large South Korean food manufacturer that provides all of the condiments to the country's McDonald's. A 24-hour McDelivery service was launched in 2007 and now is available across South Korea. McDelivery also has an app available on both Google Play and the Apple Store.
Dessert options include affogato. Former options included a green tea McFlurry and the McBingsu, a seasonal option similar to patbingsu.
As McDonald's Korea utilises local specalities to make new products which name is 'Taste of Korea', Changnyeong Garlic Burger, Boseong Green Tea Burger, Jindo Onion Croquet and Burgers are produced.
Sri Lanka.
In March 2024, McDonald's removed Abans as their Sri Lankan local partner as part of its global franchise network owing to the poor quality supply of food items and unhygienic food items in McDonald's outlets all over Sri Lanka. Abans was criticised for failing to meet international hygiene standards when operating the McDonald's outlets in Sri Lanka. Around 12 McDonald's outlets in Sri Lanka were closed with immediate effect and McDonald's sign boards were covered up.
On 24 March 2024, Colombo Commercial High Court issued an enjoining order preventing Abans from using McDonald's name in their business marketing and promotional purposes. The Colombo Commercial High Court issued the court order following a lawsuit filed by McDonald's Corporation preventing Rusi Pestonjee, managing director of Abans PLC from any way or manner to use the name McDonald's or any name in any way or manner similar to the name McDonald's.
Taiwan.
McDonald's in Taiwan serve "kao fan" (烤飯, "kǎo fàn") (literally "baked rice"), a burger-like entrée with rice patties instead of buns. It is modelled on the eponymous product of McDonald's Japanese rival, MOS Burger. McDonald's locations in Taiwan sell fried chicken legs to compete with TKK Fried Chicken. Additionally, corn soup is available as a substitute for French fries or à la carte.
Thailand.
In Thailand, McDonald's serves the Samurai Pork Burger, with teriyaki sauce, lettuce, and mayonnaise. As in other Asian markets, Thai McDonald's sell fried chicken and spicy chicken wings. Chilli sauce is available as a condiment, along with “tomato sauce”. “American ketchup” was available for years until it was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other Thailand-specific items include rice patties made with jasmine rice, the Caribbean Shrimp Burger, and a salad shaker based on "som tam" papaya salad. McDonald's restaurants in Thailand also serve the Mega animals Mac (known as the Double Big Mac) all year long.
Between October 1 and 13, 2013, or until supplies ran out, McDonald's offered a "McVeggie" burger to coincide with the tradition of many people of Chinese descent only eating vegetarian food during the annual "Kin J" period. The McVeggie is an all vegetable fried patty consisting of potatoes, beets, peas and carrot topped with lettuce and teriyaki sauce.
United Arab Emirates.
In the United Arab Emirates, as of 2016, McDonald's standard "a-la-carte" menu include the hamburger (marketed as "beefburger"), cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, chicken burger, veggie burger, Quarter Pounder, Big Mac, Mega Mac, Big N' Tasty, McRoyale, McChicken, Spicy McChicken, Chicken Mac, Chicken Mega Mac, Grand Chicken (Classic, Deluxe, Special, and Spicy variants), McArabia, Chicken McNuggets, and Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. In some outlets, the Indian-inspired Mc Aloo Tikki burger is also served as part of the McSavers and Happy Meal lines.
The McArabia initially was available as both a chicken and beef kofta variants, but only the chicken remained as standard, although the kofta and sujuk variants are sometimes reintroduced in limited promotional runs. Other limited edition sandwiches included The Asian, The Mexican, The French, and The Turkish. The standard menu formerly carried other McDonald's staples such as the Chicken Fillet, the Spicy Chicken Fillet, and the McWings.
McDonald's in the U.A.E. is a certified halal chain.
Vietnam.
McDonald's in Vietnam serves rice dishes and fried chicken as part of their daily menu, similar to other competing chains. Vietnamese coffee is also available.
In 2016, McDonald's Vietnam introduced their versions of Bánh mì, including the Grilled Pork Baguette, the Ham Cheese Baguette with Round Egg and the Ham Cheese Baguette with Veggie. These are currently unavailable.
McDonald's launched the Pho-flavoured burger to celebrate the Vietnam's National Day in 2020, consisting of beef patties, cilantro, eggs, onion and special Phở-flavoured sauce. The burger also make use of a special type of bun that resembles the McMuffin.
Europe.
Baltic states.
In the Baltic states, most of the menu follows a standard European pattern. Around 2001, the Lauku Mac (Latvian for "Rural/Country Mac", see Poland for more details) was available in Latvia, but was later discontinued. In 2022, food bloggers from the three countries contributed to the launch of Maestro gourmet bourgers. The Maestro Beef includes Cheddar cheese, tomato, Jalapeño, iceberg salad, rucola, red onion and tomato grill sauce. The Maestro Chicken replaces Cheddar with Emmental cheese and the tomato sauce with a relish sauce, omitting jalapeno and red onion.
Belgium.
Belgian McDonald's serve the Croque McDo, consisting of two slices of Emmental cheese and a slice of ham toasted between two hamburger buns. This is a variation of the traditional croque monsieur sandwich found in France and Belgium. The "Belgo" burger is a hamburger with bacon, Belgian Maredsous cheese, roasted onions and cocktail sauce.
Croatia.
The McCountry sandwich is a regular menu item in Croatian McDonald's restaurants, consisting of two pork sausage patties on a bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a special sauce. Another regular menu item is the McToast, a ham and cheese sandwich on toast. The Maestro Burger can also be found which is normally seen in the Netherlands. Seasonal and promotional offers include Greek and Italian offerings.
The Chikker sandwich served in Poland is also available in Croatia.
Cyprus.
McDonald's in Cyprus used to sell the Greek Mac, a Big Mac variant with pita bread and tzatziki sauce, and the Greek Chicken, a Greek Mac with chicken patties instead of beef. The Greek Mac was discontinued and the Greek Chicken was renamed as Grilled Chicken. A shrimp burger is also sold during the period of Lent when Orthodox Christians do not eat meat. This only applies to the Republic of Cyprus, and not Northern Cyprus, where due to the lack of international recognition, McDonald's does not exist.
Czech Republic.
The McCountry sandwich served in Croatia is also available in the Czech Republic.
In 2012, McDonald's added McSmažák, a variation on smažený sýr, a type of cheese sandwich. It is similar to the Slovak McSyr.
In the first half of 2019, McDonald's removed Big Tasty sandwich from its menu. It was brought back in June 2019.
Denmark.
One item sold in McDonald's that tries to imitate classic Danish food is the Pommes Frites and Pepper Sauce that somewhat resembles remoulade. This also for a long period from the opening of the first restaurant replaced mayonnaise dip and where the only condiment available besides ketchup. Every Danish McDonald's restaurant serves a small size chicken burger called "Chicken Salsa Cheese". Also following its other Scandinavian cousins, Danish McDonald's restaurant serve a Daim McFlurry. Customers can also buy chilli cheese tops, which is also served in other Nordic countries like Sweden and Norway.
Finland.
In Finland, most McDonald's hamburgers can be ordered with a rye bun, based on the success of the promotional "McRuis" (McRye) burger.
McFeast has been on the menu in Finland from the start and still is.
"El Maco" is a burger with salsa and sour cream sauce. The El Maco meal is served with a barbecue spice mixture and a paper bag in which the fries and the spice mixture are poured, similar to Japan's Shaka Shaka Chicken. In 2018 McDonald's released the Big Mac with bacon. Also same as in Sweden, they are offering McVegan patty for vegans in wraps, salad or as a burger. Macarons are also served as a McCafé product. In early 2018 they released Valio Oltermanni Juustonapit which is basically small cheese nuggets filled with the famous Finnish cheese.
France.
In France, McDonald's offers donuts for breakfast and Kronenbourg Brewery beer in 25 or 33 cl measures. The Croque McDo and various "Petit Plaisir" items are available, as