Who owns McDonald's?
ANYONE who knows anything about fast food has heard the name McDonald's.
The home of the Big Mac has more than 35,000 restaurants around the world, which started from humble beginnings.
In less than 100 years, the chain has become the most renowned fast food chain in the world.
But even the most die-hard Maccie fans may not know who owns the chain, or who originally founded it.
Who owns McDonald's?
Since 1955, McDonald's has been owned by Kroc, founded by Ray Kroc, who did business with the McDonald brothers.
The first McDonald's location opened in Illinois, USA on April 15 of the same year.
Shortly afterwards, Kroc founded McDonald's System Inc. into what is today known as McDonald's Corporation.
In 1961, Kroc bought the McDonald brothers, who founded the franchise, for $2.7 million (£2 million).
Since then, Kroc has owned the exclusive brand rights for 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 “Speedie Service System”.
Who were the McDonald brothers?
Richard and Maurice McDonald were two American entrepreneurs.
The idea for the restaurant came about in 1937 after they opened a hot dog stand in California, USA, which proved to be a huge hit with customers.
In 1940, they decided to expand and open a larger hot dog stand at another location in California to attract more people.
It proved successful and soon the McDonald brothers retooled the company to focus on their most popular items: burgers, milkshakes and fries.
Richard McDonald died on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89, after surviving Maurice, who died on December 11, 1971, at the age of 69.
Who was Ray Kroc and what was his net worth?
Ray Kroc was an American businessman who formed a 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 mix five milkshakes at the same time.
In 1954, he was intrigued when he received an order for eight of these multimixers from just one restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
He visited the restaurant to find the original McDonald's branch, which was run solely by the two McDonald brothers.
Impressed by what he saw, Kroc entered into a partnership with the McDonald brothers the following year, and was the first to propose franchising the restaurant.
Kroc managed to open three McDonald's restaurants in 1955, including the first franchise restaurant in Illinois.
Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers in 1961, leading some today to believe he “stole” their company from them.
Kroc died on January 14, 1984, with a net worth of $600 million – which would be the equivalent of $1.4 billion (£1.06 million) today.
His story is told in the 2016 biopic The Founder.
How to Save Money at McDonald's
You might not think it, but you may be charged more based solely on the McDonald's restaurant you choose.
Research by The Sun has found that a Big Mac meal can be up to 30p cheaper in restaurants just two miles apart.
Make sure you check out all the different apps and platforms if you're also ordering McDonald's to your home.
Our research has shown that some can charge up to £1.20 more than others.
How Much Does a McDonald's Franchise Cost?
There are 36,000 McDonald's restaurants in more than 100 countries, the vast majority of which are franchises.
Buying one or building a brand new store is a huge emotional and financial commitment.
But opening them could lead to mouth-watering returns – between £1.5m and £4.3m a year, according to McDonald's.
To invest in a McDonald's franchise you need around 25% of unencumbered cash, or around £100,000.
The remaining 75% can be bank financed, and franchisees can use banks with which McDonald's has a relationship and that offer competitive rates.
For 80% of franchised restaurants in 2018, the cost of purchasing franchise rights and equipment was between £350,000 and £1.85 million – and this was based on profitability over a ten-year period.
In addition, you must pay a monthly franchise fee of 5% 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 opened in San Bernardino, California in May 1940.
It no longer exists. It was demolished in 1972, but part of the original famous “Golden Arches” sign, which was introduced to the site in 1953, still exists.
In 1998, an independent McDonald's museum opened at the San Bernardino location.
Today, the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant is a hamburger stand in Downey, California.
It was the third McDonald's restaurant to open on August 18, 1953.
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