McDonald's Corporation
MCD · ARCX · Restaurants · United States
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest restaurant owner-operator, owning, operating, and franchising McDonald's branded restaurants in the United States and over 115 international markets. Founded in 1940 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the company offers a core menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, desserts, soft drinks, coffee, and breakfast items, alongside limited-time promotions to drive customer interest. McDonald's pioneered the franchise model, deriving approximately 60% of its revenue from royalty fees and lease payments, with the balance from company-operated stores across its U.S., international operated markets, and developmental/licensed segments. In 2024, it achieved systemwide sales of $131 billion across more than 43,000 locations, underscoring its dominant position in the global quick-service restaurant industry within the consumer services sector. Employing around 150,000 people, McDonald's continues to emphasize operational efficiency, value offerings, and menu innovation to maintain its market leadership.
Industry
Restaurants
Consumer Cyclical sector · United States
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Supply Chain
Seafood Supply Chain
The seafood supply chain is shaped by three root constraints: wild catch uncertainty where ocean fisheries are biological systems whose yields depend on weather, migration patterns, and stock health — none of which are controllable; extreme perishability where seafood degrades faster than almost any other protein and the cold chain must begin on the vessel and cannot be interrupted; and traceability gaps where seafood passes through auctions, processors, and distributors across multiple countries, making origin verification structurally difficult.
Coffee Supply Chain
The coffee supply chain moves beans, roasted coffee, and espresso from tropical farms to global consumers, shaped by three root constraints: coffee trees take years to mature and produce one harvest annually, roasted coffee degrades in weeks while green beans store for months, and production is concentrated in the tropical belt while consumption is concentrated outside it.
Beef Supply Chain
The beef supply chain is shaped by three root constraints: a biological growth cycle that delays production response by 18 to 24 months, a cold chain dependency that requires unbroken refrigeration from slaughter through retail, and processing concentration where four companies handle roughly 85% of US beef — a structure driven by the capital intensity and regulatory burden of large-scale slaughter facilities.