McDonald's is one of the largest fast food chains in the world founded in 1940 in California. It established the principles of fast food service with its Speedee Service System in 1948. However, the modern company dates its founding to 1955 when Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald's restaurant. McDonald's sells primarily hamburgers, chicken, fries and drinks and has expanded its menu over time. It is a major sponsor of sports teams and events.

1. A brief history of McDonald's
Slogan
I'm lovin' it
Type
Public (NYSE: MCD)
Founded May 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California
Headquarters Oak Brook, Illinois, USA
Key people Dick and Mac McDonald, Founders
Ray Kroc, Founder of McDonald's Corporation
Jim Skinner, CEO
Michael J. Roberts, President/COO
Ronald McDonald, Corporate Mascot
Industry
Restaurants
Products
Fast food, including Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, french fries, and
sundaes
Revenue
$20.460 Billion USD (2005)
Net income
$2.602 Billion USD (2005)
Employees
447,000 (2005)[1]

2. McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is one of the world's largest chains of fast-food
restaurants, selling primarily hamburgers, chicken, french fries and carbonated drinks and
more recently salads, fruit and carrot sticks.
The business was founded in 1940 with a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac
McDonald. It was their introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 that
established the principles of the fast-food restaurant. However, the company today dates
its "founding" to the opening of CEO Ray Kroc's first franchised restaurant, the
company's ninth, in 1955. He opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in April
1955.
Facts and Figures
• The first Hamburger University, a school for future executive managers of
regional franchises, is in Oak Brook, Illinois, where the company headquarters is located.
Similar "Hamburger U" training schools have been set up around the world.
• The first McCafe store in the world was opened in Melbourne in 1993.
• Current members of the board of directors of McDonald's are: Hall Adams,
Edward Brennan, Robert Eckert, Enrique Hernandez, Jeff Hunter, Richard Lewis,
Andrew McKenna, and Cary McMillan.
• Only 2 McDonald's Restaurants in Australia so far have a double lane drive thru.
One is McDonald's North Mackay, in North Queensland and one soon to be completed in
North Sydney, New South Wales. Mackay North has also got the longest Drive-thru in
Australia fitting a total of 22 cars from start to finish.
• McDonald's is well known for its sponsorship in American sports. It is the official
fast food of the U.S. Olympic Team, and has former NBA superstar Michael Jordan as a
spokesperson. McDonald's is also famous for its longtime sponsorship of Bill Elliott's
NASCAR team. Kasey Kahne now carries the Golden arches on his #9 car. Additionally,
McDonald's sponsors Sebastien Bourdais' #1 car in CART Champ Car competition.
• In the 1980s, the New York Mets had a player in its farm system named Ronald
McDonald. He would have been an interesting addition to a squad that already featured a
player named Howard Johnson (as in Howard Johnson's restaurants). However,
McDonald never made it to the major leagues.
• Ronaldo's son with Milene Domingues is called Ronald in honor of the famous
clown.
• In 1986, Guantánamo became host to Cuba's first and only McDonald's restaurant,
as well as a Subway.[2] These fast food restaurants are on base, and not accessible to
Cubans. It has been reported that detainees showing good behavior have been rewarded
not only with dates, pita bread and Twinkies, but also 'Happy Meals', hamburgers or Filet-
O-Fish sandwiches from the McDonald's near the Navy Exchange.[3]
• McDonald's Australia has cooked up a world first - The New Pasta Zoo Happy
Meal. The meal includes 10 Pasta pieces with Zoo Goo (Cheese), Italian sauce, a milk
drink with a Sipaah flavoured straw. The meal also includes ripper grippers (a very
simple version of chop sticks) and one of three paper masks, either an elephant, turtle or
lion. It was expected to be released in August/September 2006, but has since been
postponed to January 2007 due to incomplete items in production.
• McDonald's Australia is also trialling a new promotion called "My Dinner
Now™" in selected restaurants within the Newcastle area in New South Wales. The menu
consists of over 30 different home style based dishes including steak, vegetables and fish.

3. • The volume of food used annually by UK McDonald's Restaurants according to
the McDonald's Area Management Guide:
o Beef: 32,000 tons
o Chicken: 21,500 tons
o Potato products: 86,000 tons
o Eggs: 100 million
o Buns: 667 million
o Milk shake and sundae: 10.5 million gallons
o Cheese: 7,250 tonnes
• McDonald's Canada incorporates a maple leaf into the Golden Arches logo, a
move copied by other fast-food chains. When McDonald's expanded to the Soviet Union,
the operation was carried out by McDonald's of Canada, and the Golden Arches there
initially included a Soviet flag in the location of the maple leaf.
• The world's most northern branch of McDonald's is in the city of Rovaniemi,
Finland.
• The world's most southern branch of McDonald's is in the city of Punta Arenas,
Chile
McDonald's menu item :
In 1948, McDonald's original restaurant in San Bernardino, California served only
hamburgers, milkshakes, and french fries. While still based on hamburgers, today's menu
includes numerous other items that have been added through the years. Below are listed
both the basic items sold in the company's home market, the United States, and local
variations in the nearly 100 countries where McDonald's does business.
[edit] Items at most U.S. McDonald's outlets
A McDonald's Cheeseburger
The range of foods offered depends on the time of day. Lunch items such as hamburgers
and fries are not served during breakfast time, from store open (or about 4:00 AM in 24-
hour stores) to 10:30 on weekdays, 11:00 on weekends. In some stores with a 24-hour
focus (such as airports and turnpike service plazas), some lunch items are available
cooked to order. Most breakfast items are not served at any time except breakfast, but
there are some exceptions; hotcakes, cinnamon rolls, and bacon are always available
upon request at most McDonald's restaurants. Food prices vary by region and country.[1]
This food list is taken from the official McDonald’s website
Sandwiches
All meat-patty based sandwiches have grill seasoning, consisting primarily of salt and
pepper.
• Hamburger: 1.6 oz. (45 g) ground beef patty, with 1/8oz ketchup, mustard, a
single dill pickle slice, and reconstituted diced onion, on a toasted regular bun. In
Australia this is also known as a Junior Burger.
• Cheeseburger: Same as the hamburger, above, with a slice of American cheese.

4. • Double Cheeseburger: Same as the cheeseburger with another pickle slice,
another beef patty and another slice of cheese. Originally offered as a promotional item,
similar to the McRib, and added to the regular menu in the late 1980s.
• Triple Cheeseburger: Same as the double cheeseburger with another beef patty
and another slice of cheese.