McDonald's Corporation MCD

Company Overview

McDonald’s Corporation is one of the world’s largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) companies, operating and franchising restaurants that serve burgers, chicken, breakfast items, beverages, desserts, and related menu offerings. The company operates in the global restaurant and consumer foodservice industries, with revenue generated primarily through franchised restaurant royalties, rent, licensing fees, and company-operated restaurant sales. According to disclosures in SEC filings and company annual reports, franchised restaurants account for the overwhelming majority of systemwide locations, making franchising and real estate ownership central to its business model. The company serves broad consumer demographics ranging from value-oriented customers to convenience-focused urban and suburban consumers across breakfast, lunch, dinner, and digital ordering channels.

McDonald’s traces its origins to a restaurant founded by Richard and Maurice McDonald in California in 1940, with Ray Kroc joining the business in the 1950s and leading its expansion through standardized franchising. Over several decades, the company evolved from a predominantly company-operated restaurant chain into a heavily franchised global platform with integrated digital ordering, loyalty programs, delivery partnerships, and supply chain systems. Its strategic positioning is supported by global brand recognition, large-scale purchasing power, extensive real estate holdings, operational consistency, and high franchise penetration across developed and emerging markets.