Who owns McDonald's? (2024)

MCDONALD'S is one of the biggest fast food chains in the world, but not many know who's on the inner circle.

We all enjoy a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder with cheese, but where did the chain start and who founded it?

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Who owns McDonald's?

McDonald's has been owned by Kroc since April 1955.

Kroc’s first McDonald’s location was opened in Illinois, USA, on April 15 that year. Not long afterwards, Kroc founded McDonald’s System, Inc., known today as the McDonald’s Corporation.

In 1961, Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers – the founders of the franchise – for $2.7million (£2million).

For the last 60 years, Kroc has owned the exclusive brand name rights of all McDonald’s locations.

Who founded McDonald's?

McDonald's was founded by the McDonald brothers, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac).

At the same time as founding McDonald's, the two brothers also created the 'Speedee Service System', now known as 'fast food'.

Who were the McDonald brothers?

Richard and Maurice McDonald were two American entrepreneurs who founded McDonald's - now the world's largest chain restaurant.

The idea for the restaurant came to them in 1937, when they opened a hot dog stand in California, USA, which proved very popular during the car racing season.

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In 1940, they decided to open a bigger hot dog stand at a different California site, in a bid to attract more customers year-round.

Their new restaurant proved a success, and soon the McDonald brothers adapted their business to focusing on hamburgers, milkshakes, and French fries - their most popular items.

Richard McDonald died on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89, having outlived his brother, who died aged 69 on December 11, 1971.

Who was Ray Kroc and what was his net worth?

Ray Kroc was an American businessman, who went into partnership with the McDonald brothers in 1955.

In the early 1940s, Kroc became the exclusive distributor in the United States of the “multimixer”, a blender that could simultaneously mix five milkshakes.

In 1954, he was intrigued to receive an order for eight of these multimixers from just one restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

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He visited the restaurant to find the original branch of McDonald’s, being run only by the two McDonald brothers.

Impressed with what he saw, Kroc went into partnership with the McDonald brothers the following year, and was the first to suggest franchising the restaurant.

Kroc managed to open three McDonald’s restaurants in 1955, including the first franchised restaurant in Illinois.

Kroc bought the McDonald brothers out in 1961 – leading some today to believe that he ‘stole’ their enterprise from them.

Kroc died on January 14, 1984, with a net worth of $600 million – which today would be the equivalent of $1.4 billion (£1.06 million).

His story is told in the 2016 biopic film, The Founder.

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How much does a McDonald's franchise cost?

There are 38,000McDonald'srestaurants in 100 countries with the vast majority being franchise operations.

Buying into one, or building an entirely now store, is a massive emotional and financial commitment.

But opening one could lead to mouth-watering returns - between £1.5m and £4.3m a year, according toMcDonald's.

To invest in a McDonald's franchise, you'll need about 25% of unencumbered funds, or roughly £100,000.

The remaining 75% can be funded by a bank, and franchisees may use banks which McDonald's has a relationship with that offer competitive rates.

For 80% of restaurants franchised in 2018, the cost of purchasing franchise rights and equipment was between £350k and £1.85m - and this was priced on profitability over a 10-year period.

On top of this, you'll need to pay a monthly 5% franchise fee on net sales and a 4.3% contribution to the company's marketing fund.

The monthly fee paid by 80% of franchises in 2018 and 2019 ranged between 12.25% and 21% of your restaurant's net sales.

Does the original McDonald's still exist?

The very first McDonald’s restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, California, in May 1940.

It does not exist anymore. It was demolished in 1972 – but part of the original famous ‘Golden Arches’ sign, introduced at the site in 1953, still exists.

An independent McDonald’s museum was opened on the San Bernardino site in 1998.

The oldest existing McDonald’s restaurant today is a drive-up hamburger stand in Downey, California.

It was the third McDonald’s restaurant to open, on August 18, 1953.

Who owns McDonald's? (2024)

FAQs

Who is the real owner of McDonald's? ›

Richard McDonald (February 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice McDonald (1902 – December 11, 1971), together known as the McDonald Brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's.
...
Richard and Maurice McDonald.
Richard McDonald
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forCo-founder of McDonald's
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Does Ray Kroc still own McDonald's? ›

Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman. He purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973.

Who is the biggest franchise owner of McDonald's? ›

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. (English: ''Golden Arches Holdings, Inc'') is a company that owns the master franchise of the fast food restaurant chain McDonald's in 20 countries within Latin America and the Caribbean.

How many McDonald's did Ray Kroc own? ›

He instituted a training program for owner-managers and continually emphasized the automation and standardization of McDonald's operations. By the time Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers in 1961 for a mere $2.7 million, he had established 228 restaurants and sales had reached $37 million.

Is McDonald's still family owned? ›

Welcome to McDonald's Franchising

Approximately 93% Of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners. The status of franchising in the markets where we currently do business is described on the specific pages identified by market below.

Does the McDonald's family get royalties? ›

Since McDonald's was cash-poor in 1961, Ray asked the brothers if he could pay their requested $2.7 million over time. The brothers said no, that if Ray couldn't come up with the cash, they'd continue to collect their . 5% royalty.

Who owns most shares of McDonald's? ›

The Vanguard Group, Inc.

Did the McDonald's brothers get their royalties? ›

The brothers did get a percentage of the profits. The original deal was 1.9 percent of a franchisee's profits. It went to the McDonald's Corporation and 0.5 percent of that went to Dick and Mac McDonald.

Who inherited the McDonald's fortune? ›

While many are familiar with the story of the man who made the McDonald's fortune, most have not heard about the woman who gave most of that money away. Joan Kroc, Ray's third wife, an erstwhile co*cktail pianist, inherited $500 million when Ray died in 1984 — and donated millions when she died two decades later.

How much is it to buy a McDonalds franchise? ›

Key Takeaways. McDonald's franchisee applicants must have a minimum of $500,000 available in liquid assets and pay a $45,000 franchise fee. Those looking to launch a new McDonald's franchise can expect to shell out between $1,314,500 and $2,306,500. Existing franchise operations can cost upwards of $1 million.

How much does a McDonalds owner make a year? ›

The average McDonald's restaurant franchise owner in an existing restaurant makes $150,000/year. However, this figure can vary depending on several factors, such as the location of the restaurant and the owner's level of experience.

How much does someone who owns a McDonalds make? ›

The average salary for Owner at McDonald's in the United States is $50,910 per year, which is 20% below the national average.

Why did the McDonald brothers sell? ›

In 1961, he longed for expansion at the national level. The McDonald brothers lacked that ambition (their dream was to reach a million dollars before turning 50), so they sold the company for four million dollars and 0.5 percent of the profits.

What is the oldest fast food restaurant? ›

Most historians agree that the American company White Castle was the first fast-food outlet, starting in Wichita, Kansas in 1916 with food stands and founding in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece from its inception and spawning numerous competitors and emulators.

Was Ray Kroc a billionaire? ›

Ray Kroc was an American businessman and entrepreneur who had a net worth of $600 million at the time of his death in 1984. That's the same as $1.4 billion today after adjusting for inflation.

What franchise is McDonald's buying out? ›

Blake Casper of Caspers Company, who helped create the first independent association of McDonald's franchisees, has agreed to sell the 64-year-old family business with 60 restaurants to the franchisor. McDonald's is buying out Caspers Company, one of its oldest franchisees and the largest in Florida.

Does McDonald's own its property? ›

How much land does McDonald's own? The company owns about 45% of the land and 70% of the buildings at their 36,000+ locations (the rest is leased). It's a brilliant strategy. Being able to collect on rents helps insulate them from the ups and downs of the business of flippin' burgers.

Does Coca Cola own Mcdonalds? ›

No. Coca Cola does not own Mcdonald's however the relationship and ultimate partnership between the two companies has been long and successful. Coca-cola and McDonald's have worked together since 1955 when McDonald's was first getting started and when McDonald's needed a beverage distributor.

Does Bill Gates own shares in Mcdonalds? ›

Bill Gates added to his holdings in McDonald's Corporation by 10.13%.

Who are the major investors in McDonald's? ›

McDonald's is not owned by hedge funds. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 9.1% of shares outstanding. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 6.8% of common stock, and State Street Global Advisors, Inc. holds about 4.7% of the company stock.

How much is the royalty of McDonald? ›

Royalty Fee: 5 %

Why are the McDonalds brothers against franchising? ›

Why were the Mcdonald brothers reluctant to expand their business? They were reluctant because when they tried before, the other locations weren't staying up to specific codes that the brothers had set in their restaurant, and the brothers couldn't retain them. in quality, which can lead to loss of customers or sales.

What was the mistake the McDonald brothers made? ›

If anything, the McDonald brothers just made a classic business mistake: cashing out too soon. It seems that the McDonald brothers were financially successful even before they met Kroc. In 1954, their single restaurant in San Bernardino netted them $100,000, or $900,000 in today's dollars.

How hard is it to buy a McDonald's franchise? ›

Buying a McDonald's franchise takes a sizable investment. The corporation requires that potential franchisees have a minimum of $500,000 of unencumbered liquid assets to even be eligible and — if selected — be able to pay a $45,000 fee to the franchisor.

Why is it only cost $10 K to own a Chick-fil-A franchise? ›

The franchisee only pays the $10k franchise fee. Chick-fil-A pays for (and retains ownership of) everything — real estate, equipment, inventory — and in return, it takes a MUCH bigger piece of the pie. While a franchise like KFC takes 5% of sales, Chick-fil-A commands 15% of sales + 50% of any profit.

Can I sell my Mcdonalds franchise? ›

Many franchisors, including McDonald's USA, must approve the transfer of the franchise from the buyer to the seller. Franchisors insist on buyers who have sufficient assets to finance the purchase.

What is the monthly income of McDonalds? ›

The average McDonald's monthly salary ranges from approximately ₹ 10,851 per month for Crew Member to ₹ 26,276 per month for Delivery Person. The average McDonald's salary ranges from approximately ₹ 1,55,223 per year for Trainer to ₹ 6,48,085 per year for Store Manager.

What makes McDonalds the most money? ›

While its restaurants serve food, the company makes most of its earnings through real estate. It creates revenue through franchise agreements and leasing its restaurants to owners at huge markups over the real estate market value for the property.

What franchise makes the most money? ›

Most Profitable Franchises
  1. Anytime Fitness. Anytime Fitness is a popular gym brand with a low-cost investment and high revenue potential. ...
  2. McDonald's. McDonald's franchise program is one of the most established in the fast food industry. ...
  3. UPS Store. ...
  4. Jersey Mike's Subs. ...
  5. Dunkin' ...
  6. Sport Clips. ...
  7. 7-Eleven. ...
  8. Papa John's.
Nov 1, 2022

Who owns the most franchises? ›

2017
RANKCOMPANYUNITS
1NPC INTERNATIONAL1,478
2TARGET CORP.1,170
3FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP854
4CARROLS GROUP762
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What is the failure rate of McDonalds franchise? ›

This means, that for McDonald's and other top franchises, between a quarter and about half of their franchisees failed. That's still a surprisingly large number, especially for companies that are supposed to be the very best franchises in America.

How much does a Starbucks franchise owner make? ›

The number of Starbucks licenses that you have directly correlates with your income potential. For instance, an individual with one Starbucks license can earn more than $120,000 annually. An individual with up to 20 licenses for Starbucks could realistically earn more than $2 million annually.

What is the most popular item at McDonalds? ›

Ever since the first McDonald's menu from when the chained opened in the 1950s, french fries have been a star. The famous Golden Arches sell upward of 9 million pounds of fries per day!

Why do they call it McDonalds? ›

McDonald's as we know it began in 1955 when Ray Kroc opened his first restaurant in Illinois, inspired by the McDonald brothers' restaurant and thus, gave the restaurant their now famous name. McDonald's opened its first restaurant in the U.K. in Woolwich, south London, in October 1974.

What was Chick Fil A's original name? ›

S.

Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House®).

What is the oldest burger joint in America? ›

Louis' Lunch is a hamburger restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, which claims to be the first restaurant to serve hamburgers and the oldest hamburger restaurant in the United States. It was opened as a small lunch wagon in 1895 and was one of the first places in the U.S. to serve steak sandwiches.

What is the oldest pizza chain? ›

That's right—Pizza Hut was the first chain pizza joint in America. The original restaurant was less-than-large, with only twenty-five seats. They also only had space on the sign for nine letters, so they decided to call the place “Pizza Hut” due to the building's small size.

How much money did Ray Kroc leave the Salvation Army? ›

The Salvation Army will receive a $1.5 billion bequest from McDonald's heiress Joan Kroc -- one of the largest individual gifts ever made to a charity, the organization announced yesterday.

Who is richest man in the world? ›

1. Bernard Arnault & family. Bernard Arnault is the CEO and Chair of LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) and his net worth is $206.3 billion, he overtook Elon Musk as the world's richest man in 2022.

How much did Ray Kroc pay McDonalds? ›

After the McDonald brothers sold the company to Ray Kroc in 1961 for $2.7 million, he began to take credit for its birth. "Suddenly, after we sold, my golly, he elevated himself to the founder," said Richard McDonald in a 1991 interview (Sun Journal).

Did Ray Kroc buy the McDonalds brothers? ›

Their marriage ended in 1961 when Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers' $2.7 million stake in the company.

Why did McDonald's stop using Ronald McDonald? ›

In 2016, McDonald's officially retired Ronald after a series of “creepy clown sightings” popped up across the United States. As they escalated from harmless sightings to reports of weapons carrying weapons, it became an awful time to be a clown.

How much did Ray Kroc buy McDonalds? ›

Kroc became increasingly frustrated and decided he wanted control of McDonald's all to himself. So in 1961, he bought out the McDonalds for $2.7 million-cash. Kroc thought the deal included the original McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, but the brothers said it did not.

Who inherited Ray Kroc's fortune? ›

When Ray Kroc passed away, his fortune was inherited by his third wife, Joan Kroc. Joan was a philanthropist and donated much of her inherited wealth to charity during her lifetime. Therefore, after she died in 2003, Ray Kroc's money was divided among various charities and foundations.

What was McDonald's original name? ›

Before 1940s. 1937: Patrick McDonald opens a food and drinks stand called "The Airdrome" on historic Route 66 (now Huntington Drive) near the Monrovia Airport in Monrovia, California.

Why did McDonald's get rid of playgrounds? ›

Kids have all the play they need right there in the palm of their hands. As such, the playgrounds' target audience is using them less and less, and this is the most likely reason McDonald's is putting its funds elsewhere.

Why did McDonald's get rid of all day breakfast? ›

No, McDonald's isn't bringing back its popular all-day breakfast next month. The fast-food giant ended the offering during the early days of pandemic lockdowns as part of a broader scheme to simplify service. Bloated menus can overwhelm customers, slow down kitchen operations and lead to longer drive-thru lines.

Why did McDonald's remove clown? ›

Critics claimed that a clown mascot targeting children for fast food is unethical. A group of 550 doctors and other health professionals took out newspaper ads in 2011, saying that Ronald McDonald should be retired. Ronald McDonald made fewer appearances since 2016 due to the 2016 clown sightings.

How much is the entire McDonald's franchise worth? ›

When you go to sell a McDonald's franchise based on the median multiple of 0.34 and net sales of $2,908,000 in 2020, it would sell for $988,720. This is lower than the midpoint initial investment of $1,813,897 by about $800k. Therefore, your business would sell for less than your initial total investment.

How much does the CEO of Mcdonalds make every year? ›

$10,847,032

How much does one McDonald's owner make a year? ›

How much does a McDonald's franchise owner make a year? The average McDonald's restaurant franchise owner in an existing restaurant makes $150,000/year. However, this figure can vary depending on several factors, such as the location of the restaurant and the owner's level of experience.

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