Professional Documents
Culture Documents
restaurants, serving more than 58 million customers daily.[3] In addition to its signature
restaurant chain, McDonald’s Corporation held a minority interest in Pret A Manger until
2008, was a major investor in the Chipotle Mexican Grill until 2006,[4] and owned the
restaurant chain Boston Market until 2007.[5]
Contents
[hide]
• 1 History
• 2 Corporate overview
o 2.1 Facts and figures
o 2.2 Types of restaurants
o 2.3 Playgrounds
o 2.4 Redesign
o 2.5 Business model
o 2.6 Shareholder dividends
• 3 Controversies
o 3.1 Arguments in defense
o 3.2 Environmental record
• 4 Legal cases
• 5 Products
• 6 Headquarters
• 7 Advertising
o 7.1 Children's advertising
o 7.2 Sports awards and honors
• 8 Global operations
• 9 See also
o 9.1 Competitors
• 10 References
• 11 Further reading
• 12 External links
History
McDonald's Logo used from 1968 to 2003. It still exists at some restaurants.
"Speedee", the former mascot of McDonald's before his replacement by Ronald McDonald.
The business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by brothers Richard and Maurice
McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Their introduction of the "Speedee Service System"
in 1948 established the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant. The original mascot of
McDonald's was a man with a chef's hat on top of a hamburger shaped head whose name was
"Speedee." Speedee was eventually replaced with Ronald McDonald by 1967 when the
company first filed a U.S. trademark on a clown shaped man having puffed out costume legs.
McDonald's first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name McDonald's on May 4, 1961, with the
description "Drive-In Restaurant Services," which continues to be renewed through the end of
December 2009. In the same year, on September 13, 1961, the company filed a logo
trademark on an overlapping, double arched "M" symbol. The overlapping double arched "M"
symbol logo was temporarily disfavored by September 6, 1962, when a trademark was filed
for a single arch, shaped over many of the early McDonald's restaurants in the early years.
The famous double arched "M" symbol in use today did not appear until November 18, 1968,
when the company filed a U.S. trademark.
The first McDonald's restaurants opened in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama,
Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France, El Salvador and Sweden, in order of
openings.
The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray
Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955,[8] the ninth McDonald's restaurant overall.
Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and led its worldwide
expansion, and the company became listed on the public stock markets in 1965.[9] Kroc was
also noted for aggressive business practices, compelling the McDonald brothers to leave the
fast food industry. The McDonald brothers and Kroc feuded over control of the business, as
documented in both Kroc's autobiography and in the McDonald brothers' autobiography. The
site of the McDonald brothers' original restaurant is now a monument.[10]
With the expansion of McDonald's into many international markets, the company has become
a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life. Its prominence has also
made it a frequent topic of public debates about obesity, corporate ethics and consumer
responsibility.
Corporate overview
Facts and figures
McDonald's restaurants are found in 119 countries[11] and territories around the world and
serve 58 million customers each day.[3] McDonald's operates over 31,000 restaurants
worldwide, employing more than 1.5 million people.[11] The company also operates other
restaurant brands, such as Piles Café.
Focusing on its core brand, McDonald's began divesting itself of other chains it had acquired
during the 1990s. The company owned a majority stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill until
October 2006, when McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange.[12][13]
Until December 2003, it also owned Donatos Pizza. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's sold
Boston Market to Sun Capital Partners.[14]
Types of restaurants
Most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both counter service and drive-through service,
with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating. Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and Drive, or
"McDrive" as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying
for, and picking up orders, though the latter two steps are frequently combined; it was first
introduced in Arizona in 1975, following the lead of other fast-food chains. The first such
restaurant in Britain opened at Fallowfield, Manchester in 1986.[15]
In some countries, "McDrive" locations near highways offer no counter service or seating. In
contrast, locations in high-density city neighborhoods often omit drive-through service. There
are also a few locations, located mostly in downtown districts, that offer Walk-Thru service in
place of Drive-Thru.
Specially themed restaurants also exist, such as the "Solid Gold McDonald's," a 1950s rock-
and-roll–themed restaurant.[16] In Victoria, British Columbia, there is also a McDonald's with
a 24-carat (100%) gold chandelier and similar light fixtures.
To accommodate the current trend for high quality coffee and the popularity of coffee shops
in general, McDonald's introduced McCafé, a café-style accompaniment to McDonald's
restaurants in the style of Starbucks. McCafé is a concept created by McDonald's Australia,
starting with Melbourne in 1993. Today, most McDonald's in Australia have McCafés located
within the existing McDonald's restaurant. In Tasmania, there are McCafés in every store,
with the rest of the states quickly following suit. After upgrading to the new McCafé look and
feel, some Australian stores have noticed up to a 60% increase in sales. As of the end of 2003
there were over 600 McCafés worldwide.
Some locations are connected to gas stations/convenience stores,[17] while others called
McExpress have limited seating and/or menu or may be located in a shopping mall. Other
McDonald's are located in Wal-Mart stores. McStop is a location targeted at truckers and
travelers which may have services found at truck stops.[18]
Playgrounds
Some McDonald's in suburban areas and certain cities feature large indoor or outdoor
playgrounds. The first PlayPlace with the familiar crawl-tube design with ball pits and slides
was introduced in 1987 in the USA, with many more being constructed soon after. Some
PlayPlace playgrounds have been renovated into "R Gym" areas.
Redesign
McDonald's in Darlington, UK. This is an example of the new look of McDonald's in Europe.
In 2006, McDonald's introduced its "Forever Young" brand by redesigning all of their
restaurants, the first major redesign since the 1970s.[19][20]
The McDonald's restaurant in Banbury's Bridge Street in 2010. It is still in white paint outside
and blue/grey/brown inside as it was since 2002.
The design includes the traditional McDonald's yellow and red colors, but the red is muted to
terra cotta, the yellow was turned golden for a more "sunny" look, and olive and sage green
were also added. To warm up their look, the restaurants have less plastic and more brick and
wood, with modern hanging lights to produce a softer glow. Contemporary art or framed
photographs hang on the walls.
One of four McDonald's restaurants located on Oxford Street, London, Europe's busiest
shopping street.
Business model
The UK business model is different, in that fewer than 30% of restaurants are franchised, with
the majority under the ownership of the company. McDonald's trains its franchisees and
others at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois.
As a matter of policy, McDonald's does not make direct sales of food or materials to
franchisees, instead organizing the supply of food and materials to restaurants through
approved third party logistics operators.
According to Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (2001), nearly one in eight workers in the
U.S. have at some time been employed by McDonald's. (According to a news piece on Fox
News this figure is one in ten.) The book also states that McDonald's is the largest private
operator of playgrounds in the U.S., as well as the single largest purchaser of beef, pork,
potatoes, and apples. The selection of meats McDonald's uses varies with the culture of the
host country.
Shareholder dividends
McDonald's has increased shareholder dividends for 25 consecutive years,[21] making it one of
the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats.[22][23]
Controversies
As a prominent example of the rapid globalization of the American fast food industry,
McDonald's is often the target of criticism for its menu, its expansion, and its business
practices.
The McLibel Trial, also known as McDonald's Restaurants v Morris & Steel, is an example of
this criticism. In 1990, activists from a small group known as London Greenpeace (no
connection to the international group Greenpeace) distributed leaflets entitled What's wrong
with McDonald's?, criticizing its environmental, health, and labor record. The corporation
wrote to the group demanding they desist and apologize, and, when two of the activists
refused to back down, sued them for libel in one of the longest cases in British civil law. A
documentary film of the McLibel Trial has been shown in several countries.
Despite the objections of McDonald's, the term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary in 2003.[24] The term was defined as "a low-paying job that requires
little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement".[25] In an open letter to Merriam-
Webster, Jim Cantalupo, former CEO of McDonald's, denounced the definition as a "slap in
the face" to all restaurant employees, and stated that "a more appropriate definition of a
'McJob' might be 'teaches responsibility.'" Merriam-Webster responded that "we stand by the
accuracy and appropriateness of our definition."[26]
In 2001, Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation included criticism of the business practices
of McDonald's. Among the critiques were allegations that McDonald's (along with other
companies within the fast food industry) uses its political influence to increase its profits at
the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers. The book also brought
into question McDonald's advertisement techniques in which it targets children. While the
book did mention other fast-food chains, it focused primarily on McDonald's.
McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys, which it includes with kids meals. [28] It
has been alleged that the use of popular toys encourages children to eat more McDonald's
food, thereby contributing to many children's health problems, including a rise in obesity.[29]
In 2002, vegetarian groups, largely Hindu and Buddhist, successfully sued McDonald's for
misrepresenting their French fries as vegetarian, when they contained beef broth.[30]
A midget PETA activist dressed as a chicken argues with a manager of the Times Square
McDonald's over the company's animal welfare standards.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), continues to pressure McDonald's to
change its animal welfare standards, in particular the method their suppliers use of
slaughtering chickens.[31] Most processors in the United States shackle fully conscious birds
upside down and run them through an electrically charged water tub before slitting their
throats.[32] PETA argues that using gas to kill the birds (a method called "controlled
atmosphere killing: or CAK) is less cruel.[33] Both CAK and "controlled atmosphere stunning"
(CAS) are commonly used in Europe.[34]
Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film Super Size Me said that McDonald's food was
contributing to the epidemic of obesity in society, and that the company was failing to provide
nutritional information about its food for its customers. Six weeks after the film premiered,
McDonald's announced that it was eliminating the super size option, and was creating the
adult happy meal.
The soya that is fed to McDonald’s chickens is supplied by agricultural giant Cargill and
comes directly from Brazil. Greenpeace alleges that not only is soya destroying the Amazon
rain forest in Brazil, but soya farmers are guilty of further crimes including slavery and the
invasion of indigenous peoples’ lands. The allegation is that McDonald's, as a client of
Cargill's, is complicit in these activities.[35]
Arguments in defense
In response to public pressure, McDonald's has sought to include more healthy choices in its
menu and has introduced a new slogan to its recruitment posters: "Not bad for a McJob".[36]
(The word McJob, first attested in the mid-1980s[37] and later popularized by Canadian
novelist Douglas Coupland in his book Generation X, has become a buzz word for low-paid,
unskilled work with few prospects or benefits and little security.) McDonald's disputes the
idea. In 2007, the company launched an advertising campaign with the slogan "Would you
like a career with that?" on Irish television, outlining that their jobs have many prospects.
In a bid to tap into growing consumer interest in the provenance of food, the fast-food chain
recently[when?] switched its supplier of both coffee beans and milk. UK chief executive Steve
Easterbrook said: "British consumers are increasingly interested in the quality, sourcing and
ethics of the food and drink they buy". McDonald's coffee is now brewed from beans taken
from stocks that have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, a conservation group.
Similarly, milk supplies used for its hot drinks and milkshakes have been switched to organic
sources which could account for 5% of the UK's organic milk output.[38]
McDonald's announced on May 22, 2008 that, in the U.S. and Canada, it would switch to
using cooking oil for its french fries that contains no trans fats, and canola-based oil with corn
and soy oils by year's end for its baked items, pies and cookies.[39][40]
With regard to acquiring chickens from suppliers who use CAK or CAS methods of slaughter,
McDonald's says they need to see more research "to help determine whether any CAS system
in current use is optimal from an animal welfare perspective."[41]
Environmental record
In April 2008, McDonald's announced that 11 of its Sheffield restaurants have been using a
biomass trial that had cut its waste and carbon footprint by half in the area. In this trial, waste
from the restaurants were collected by Veolia Environmental Services and used to produce
energy at a power plant. McDonald's plans to expand this project, although the lack of
biomass power plants in the U.S. will prevent this plan from becoming a national standard
anytime soon.[42] In addition, in Europe, McDonald's has been recycling vegetable grease by
converting it to fuel for their diesel trucks.[43]
Furthermore, McDonald's has been using a corn-based bioplastic to produce containers for
some of their products. Although industries who use this product claim a carbon savings of
30% to 80%, a Guardian study shows otherwise. The results show that this type of plastic
does not break down in landfills as efficiently as other conventional plastics. The extra energy
it takes to recycle this plastic results in a higher output of greenhouse gases. Also, the plastics
can contaminate waste streams, causing other recycled plastics to become unsaleable.[44]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized McDonald's continuous effort to
reduce solid waste by designing more efficient packaging and by promoting the use of
recycled-content materials.[45] McDonald's reports that they are committed towards
environmental leadership by effectively managing electric energy, by conserving natural
resources through recycling and reusing materials, and by addressing water management
issues within the restaurant.[46]
In an effort to reduce energy usage by 25% in its restaurants, McDonald's opened a prototype
restaurant in Chicago in 2009 with the intention of using the model in its other restaurants
throughout the world. Building on past efforts, specifically a restaurant it opened in Sweden
in 2000 that was the first to intentionally incorporate green ideas, McDonald's designed the
Chicago site to save energy by incorporating old and new ideas such as managing storm
water, using skylights for more natural lighting and installing some partitions and tabletops
made from recycled goods.[47]
When McDonald’s received criticism for its environmental policies in the 1970s, it began to
make substantial progress towards source reductions efforts.[48] For instance, an “average
meal” in the 1970s—a Big Mac, fries, and a drink—required 46 grams of packaging; today, it
requires only 25 grams, allowing a 46% reduction.[49] In addition, McDonald’s eliminated the
need for intermediate containers for cola by having a delivery system that pumps syrup
directly from the delivery truck into storage containers, saving two million pounds of
packaging annually.[50] Overall, weight reductions in packaging and products, as well as the
increased usage of bulk packaging ultimately decreased packaging by 24 million pounds
annually.[51]
Legal cases
Main article: McDonald's legal cases
McDonald's has been involved in a number of lawsuits and other legal cases, most of which
involved trademark disputes. The company has threatened many food businesses with legal
action unless they drop the Mc or Mac from their trading name. In one noteworthy case,
McDonald's sued a Scottish café owner called McDonald, even though the business in
question dated back over a century (Sheriff Court Glasgow and Strathkelvin, November 21,
1952). On September 8, 2009, McDonald's Malaysian operations lost a lawsuit to prevent
another restaurant calling itself McCurry. McDonald's lost in an appeal to Malaysia's highest
court, the Federal Court.[52]
It has also filed numerous defamation suits. For example, in the McLibel case, McDonald's
sued two activists for distributing pamphlets attacking its environmental, labor and health
records. After the longest trial in UK legal history, the judge found that some claims in the
pamphlet were untrue and therefore libellous. The company, however, had asserted that all
claims in the pamphlet were untrue, essentially obliging the judge to publicly rule on each
one. Embarrassingly for the company, several of the specific allegations were upheld.[53]
McDonald's has defended itself in several cases involving workers' rights. In 2001 the
company was fined £12,400 by British magistrates for illegally employing and over-working
child labor in one of its London restaurants. This is thought to be one of the largest fines
imposed on a company for breaking laws relating to child working conditions (R v 2002
EWCA Crim 1094). In April 2007 in Perth, Western Australia, McDonald's pleaded guilty to
five charges relating to the employment of children under 15 in one of its outlets and was
fined AU$8,000.[54]
Possibly the most infamous legal case involving McDonald's was the 1994 decision in The
McDonald's Coffee Case where Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns after spilling a
fresh cup of McDonald's coffee on herself.
In a McDonald's American Idol figurine promotion, the figurine that represents "New Wave
Nigel" wears something that closely resembles Devo’s Energy Dome, which was featured on
the band's album cover, Freedom of Choice. In addition to the figurine's image, it also plays a
tune that appears to be an altered version of Devo's song "Doctor Detroit." Devo copyrighted
and trademarked the Energy Dome and is taking legal action against McDonald's.[55]
Products
A McDonald's Big Mac combo meal served with French fries and Coca-Cola.
Main article: McDonald's products
See also: McDonald's products (international)
Headquarters
The McDonald's headquarters complex, McDonald's Plaza, is located in Oak Brook, Illinois.
It sits on the site of the former headquarters and stabling area of Paul Butler, the founder of
Oak Brook.[56] McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within the
Chicago Loop in 1971.[57]
Advertising
Main article: McDonald's advertising
McDonald's has for decades maintained an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the
usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of
billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic
Games, and makes coolers of orange drink with their logo available for local events of all
kinds. Nonetheless, television has always played a central role in the company's advertising
strategy.
To date, McDonald's has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising [citation needed], as
well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions. At times, it has run into trouble
with its campaigns.
Children's advertising
Main articles: Ronald McDonald and McDonaldland
Global operations
See also: List of countries with McDonald's franchises
Thomas Friedman once said that no country with a McDonald's had gone to war with another.
[58][Full citation needed]
However, the "Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention" is not strictly
true. Exceptions are the 1989 United States invasion of Panama, NATO's bombing of Serbia
in 1999, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2008 South Ossetia war.
Some observers have suggested that the company should be given credit for increasing the
standard of service in markets that it enters. A group of anthropologists in a study entitled
Golden Arches East[59] looked at the impact McDonald's had on East Asia, and Hong Kong in
particular. When it opened in Hong Kong in 1975, McDonald's was the first restaurant to
consistently offer clean restrooms, driving customers to demand the same of other restaurants
and institutions. McDonald's have recently[when?] taken to partnering up with Sinopec, the
second largest oil company in the People's Republic of China, as it begins to take advantage
of the country's growing use of personal vehicles by opening numerous drive-thru restaurants.
[60]
McDonald's has opened a McDonald's restaurant and McCafé on the underground
premises of the French fine arts museum, the Louvre.[61]
See also
Chicago portal
Illinois portal
Companies
portal
Food portal
Book: McDonald's
Wikipedia Books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.
Competitors
References
A McDonald’s Corporation a világ egyik legnagyobb gyorsétteremi üzlethálózata. Az
üzletek túlnyomó része nem a cég tulajdonában van, hanem franchise rendszerben működik,
amelynek alapján az egyes éttermeket más vállalkozások létesítik és üzemeltetik és ezeknek a
McDonald’s cég védjegyei használatára és más szolgáltatásokra (például üzletviteli know-
how használatára) ad engedélyt, ellenérték fejében. A cég részvénye egyike annak a harminc
részvényből álló kosárnak, amelyből a Dow Jones Ipari Átlagot számítják.
Tartalomjegyzék
[elrejtés]
• 1 Története
• 2 A cég védjegyei
• 3 Néhány adat (2005)
• 4 A McDonald’s Magyarországon
• 5 Ellenzői
• 6 Források és jegyzetek
• 7 Külső hivatkozások
Története [szerkesztés]
A hamburger igen népszerű étellé vált az Amerikai Egyesült Államokban a nagy gazdasági
világválság idején olcsóságának köszönhetően. Richard James és Maurice James testvérpár
1937-ben kezdett hot dogok árusításába, és olyan jól ment az üzlet, hogy 1940-ben
Monroviában McDonald’s nevű éttermet nyitott. Hamar felfigyeltek arra a tényre, hogy
bevételeik nagyobb része a hamburgerek árusításából származik, így amellett döntöttek, hogy
a továbbiakban ezt fogják árusítani. Az '50-es évek fellendülésének köszönhetően a
fogyasztás egyre tömegesebbé vált, így a testvérpár Chicago egyik külvárosában megnyitotta
McDonald's nevű gyorséttermét 1955. április 15-én.[2]
A cég 2009. október 27-én bejelentette, hogy kivonul Izlandról. Így Izland lett Bosznia-
Hercegovina és Albánia után a 3. európai ország, ahol nincs jelen a cég.[3]
• M (ábrás, ív formájú)
• Ronald McDonald feliratú bohóc figura
• Big Mac
• McDrive
• Fry Boys
• Fry Girls
Néhány adat (2005) [szerkesztés]
• Éttermek száma: 32 737 (2011-ben)
• Vevők/nap: 50 000 000
• Vevők/nap/étkezde: 1 700
• Alkalmazottak száma: 1 700 000
• A 3. magyar étterem és egyben az első McDrive étterem Győrben épült meg.
Bár nem ez a cég találta ki a hamburgert vagy a gyorséttermet, napjainkban a neve szinte
egybeforrt ezekkel. A külföldi gyorsétkezdék közül elsőként jelent meg a magyar piacon. Első
étterme 1988. április 29-én nyílt meg Budapesten, az V. kerületi Régiposta utcában;[4]
háttérüzemét Bábolnán állították fel. A nyitáskor tizenöt termékből lehetett választani; a
legdrágább étel a Big Mac volt, ami 43 forintba került.[4] A tizennégy órás nyitva tartás alatt
percenként több mint tízen jutottak hozzá a kívánt ételhez.[4]
A magyar szlengben a McDonald’s éttermeket Mekinek becézik. 2009. augusztus 28-án nyílt
meg Magyarország 100. McDonald’s étterme Győrött. Ez a város 3. étterme.[5]
Ellenzői [szerkesztés]
• Nagy-Britanniában az eddigi leghosszabb polgári eljárást (ún. McLibel-per, 1994–
1997) folytatták le két környezetvédelmi önkéntes ellen, érdeksértő szórólapjuk miatt.
Bár nyert a gyorsétterem hálózat, több hiányosságára is rámutatott az eljárás.
• Filmet készítettek Super size me címmel a McDonald’s üzletpolitikája káros
következményeinek demonstrálására.[7]
McDonald's Corporation
Panes of the mc d
McDonald’s Corporation plans for its major spread out in China through 700
new stores openings by the year 2013, as the fast food firm counters growing
challenges from rivals in the Chinese markets.
According to McDonald’s official spokesperson, Betty Tian, the fast food provider
intends to stretch its operations to 2,000 stores by 2013, a jump from its existing
1,300 stores. The firm will generate 50,000 new employment opportunities, which
includes one thousand university graduates as management trainees’.
The chief executive of McDonald’s in China, Kenneth Chan, told that McDonald’s has
been expanding more rapidly in China than in any other global market, so the time
had come for capable individuals to join company’s winning combination.
The company has been operating in China for the past 20 years is eager for expansion
in China as the rivalry in the fast food industry is gearing up.
Yum Brands, which runs 3,800 KFC and Pizza Hut stores in China, have just
announced its strategy to get bigger in the Chinese market by making a groundwork
offer to receive full control of Little Sheep Group, which is the operator of a well
known Chinese hot pot chain.
The stock’s performance in relation to its rate of return remained positive with 1.66%
for a week and +3.83% for the month while it enhanced for the year with 14.28%.
MCD price enhanced 1.64% from the mean of 20 days, +2.87% from 50 but improved
4.47% from 200 days average price.