By Editorial Note: McDonald’s Unveiled – 20 Intriguing Insights.
In a revealing compilation by Matt Sulem, McDonald’s, the global fast-food giant, is
unmasked through 20 captivating facts. From its humble beginnings, surprising origins,
and intriguing connections, to its reach, adaptability, and even a royal link, these facts
offer a fresh perspective on the iconic brand. As McDonald’s continues to serve billions
worldwide, these tidbits remind us that there’s always more to explore beneath those
golden arches. – By Talukder Tetulia, Washington DC.
20 fascinating facts about McDonald’s by By Matt Sulem
McDonald’s is not just a fast food restaurant, it’s a global force to be reckoned with. And
this little burger joint didn’t go from humble beginnings to dominating the world without
some interesting stories along the way, as well as some other compelling tidbits about
the founders, the food, and popularity. We think you’ll flip over these 20 fascinating facts
about McDonald’s.
McDonald’s is not the oldest burger chain
The very first McDonald’s restaurant was opened by the McDonald Brothers in San
Bernardino, California, in 1940. Even though that was over 80 years ago, there are still
older burger chains! White Castle—founded in 1921—is credited as being the first
hamburger chain, but the first A&W restaurant started serving root beer and burgers in
1923 (although it originated as a stand that opened four years prior).
The first location still exists…sort of
Ronald and Maurice McDonald’s first restaurant was located at 1398 North E Street at
West 14th Street in San Bernardino. In 1953, 13 years after it opened, that location was
demolished in order to construct a building more fitting with McDonald’s image.
However, because the brothers had sold the name to Ray Kroc, it had to be called “The
Big M.” It went out of business less than 20 years later, but the sign still stands outside
of what is now a privately-owned McDonald’s museum.
Ray Kroc’s was 52 when he discovered McDonald’s
You might picture Ray Kroc—the guy who launched McDonald’s to superstar status—as a
young go-getter, but that wasn’t the case. Kroc was 52 years old when he first became
acquainted with the restaurant in 1954; 53 when he opened his first location in Des Plaines,
Illinois; and 59 when he bought the company. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Kroc was a
milkshake machine salesman—he actually found out about McDonald’s after selling them eight
Multi-Mixers. A replica of Kroc’s first restaurant was later built in Des Plaines.
Ray Kroc had a very famous friend
When Ray Kroc started franchising McDonald’s restaurants, he reached out to a famous
friend with a business offer. Kroc’s friend was then a very wealthy man, but Ray
originally met him when the two were teenagers in the ambulance corps during World
War II. Kroc knew him as the guy who was always doodling in his free time, and the rest
of the world would eventually know him as the founder of Disney, Walt Disney. A deal
between the two would have meant a McDonald’s opening up in Disneyland, but it
never came to fruition, as Disney reportedly wanted more of a markup than Kroc was
willing to allow.
Religion is the reason for the Filet-O-Fish
A Cincinnati franchisee was tired of losing sales during lent—when many Catholics
abstain from meat on Fridays—and decided to invent a new sandwich. The Filet-O-Fish
was introduced in 1962, and it’s been on the menu ever since. (The only difference is
that it was initially made with halibut, then cod for several decades, and now Marine
Stewardship Council-certified wild-caught Alaska Pollock.)
McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain
This probably comes as no surprise to you: McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain in the
world. Their website officially lists “more than 36,000 locations in more than 100 countries,” but
more accurate estimates place the number closer to 40,000. Wondering about second place?
That spot belongs to Subway.
69 million people eat at McDonald’s each day
McDonald’s is so popular and so omnipresent that about 69 million people eat at
McDonald’s every day—more than the populations of countries like Italy, France, and
England! In America alone, 45 million people eat McDonald’s daily, and according to the
company’s research, 90% of Americans will eat there at least once a year, and 33% will
eat there once a month.
Only four African countries have McDonald’s
Out of the 40,000 locations worldwide, fewer than 400 are in Africa. In fact, only four of
the 54 African nations have at least one McDonald’s restaurant: Egypt, Mauritania,
Morocco, and South Africa.
Americans are never more than 115 miles from a
McDonald’s
Have you ever wondered where the nearest McDonald’s is? If you’re in the U.S., the answer is
no more than 115 miles. America has more than 13,000 McDonald’s locations dispersed across
all 50 states, so if you crave a Big Mac, you can usually get one in under two hours.
Different colored arches exist
It’s rare, but a few McDonald’s locations around the world have arches that are colored
something other than gold. This includes white arches at one Paris location, turquoise
arches in Sedona, Arizona; black arches in Monterey, California; and red arches in
Rockland, California.
Some McDonald’s only have a single arch
Once upon a time, the McDonald’s logo only had a single arch. In 1961, Ray Kroc
trademarked the name “McDonald’s” and also a new logo with not one but two golden
arches. There are still about a dozen locations in the U.S. still rocking the single-arch
logo!
McDonald’s locations come in all shapes & sizes
You’ve probably seen McDonald’s in a mall, in an airport, as a storefront, and as a standalone
restaurant, but there are many more unique locations out there. In Freeport, Maine, McDonald’s
is housed in a colonial mansion that’s more than 170 years old. Another McDonald’s in a
mansion in Hyde Park, New York, is more than 200 years old! The McDonald’s in Roswell, New
Mexico, is in a UFO-shaped building. But our favorite is located in New Zealand—that one has
seating inside an airplane!
The Queen of England owned a McDonald’s
If you think the McDonald’s mansions are fancy, get this: The Queen of England opened
a McDonald’s in 2015! Okay, the late Queen Elizabeth II didn’t actually open it herself
(although that would have been an entertaining ribbon-cutting ceremony), but the super-
posh restaurant at the Banbury Gateway Shopping Park in Oxfordshire sits on land
that’s part of the $34 billion Crown Estate, meaning she did, technically, own it. With the
Queen’s passing, we assume Charles III is now the proprietor, making him the Burger
King.
McDonald’s is the largest toy distributor
With 20% of meals sold at McDonald’s containing a toy—about 5,000 Happy Meals a
minute, according to one figure—that adds up to about 1.5 billion toys sold globally
every year. This makes McDonald’s the largest toy distributor in the world, meaning
they sell even more than toy brands like Hasbro and Mattel.
The McNuggets have names
You might think every McDonald’s McNugget is special, like a greasy little meat snowflake, but
they actually come in distinct shapes. For quality control reasons, McDonald’s chooses to limit
the shape options to four, and the company even has internal names for them: the boot, the
bone, the bell, and the ball.
Coke tastes better at McDonald’s
It’s not your imagination: Coca-Cola really does taste better at McDonald’s. It’s not just
because the syrup and carbonated water combine in the restaurant—you can get that at
any place with a soda fountain—but because the syrup is shipped to McDonald’s in
stainless steel containers instead of the traditional plastic bags.
There’s a gold McDonald’s card that grants the
holder free food for life
It was once just a legend, but its existence has since been confirmed: There’s a
McDonald’s Gold Card that is worth a lifetime of free McDonald’s food. Only a few
people are known to have these elusive cards, and of course, they’re all rich people
who can already afford all the McDonald’s they want, including Bill Gates, Warren
Buffet, and Rob Lowe.
McDonald’s once owned 90% of Chipotle
Back in 1998, McDonald’s invested in a small chain of 14 Mexican restaurants called Chipotle.
McDonald’s helped grow the chain to 500 restaurants in about seven years—and ended up
owning 90% of the company—but saw the new venture as a distraction and sold its shares.
Chipotle took off soon after and now has more than 3,000 locations nationwide.
McDonald’s has a training facility called Hamburger
University
This sounds totally made up, but McDonald’s actually does operate a training facility
called Hamburger University. It was originally located in one of the restaurant’s
basements but is now housed in a fancy complex on the site that used to be Oprah
Winfrey’s Harpo Studios. There are also campuses in other countries!
McSpaghetti is actually [still] a thing
Before we get to the “still” part, we think some of you will be surprised just to know that
McSpaghetti ever existed. This menu option—which consisted of spaghetti topped with
marinara sauce, meatballs, and shredded cheese—was introduced in the ‘70s and lasted less
than a decade before being discontinued. However, you can still get it in at least two places:
Orlando, Florida (at the largest McDonald’s in the country) and the Philippines, where spaghetti
and McDonald’s are both quite popular.
