The American fast-food chain McDonald’s was established in 1940 by two key people, Richard and Maurice McDonald. The chain first began operations in San Bernardino, California. It later moved on to making hamburgers. The chain then became a franchise in 1953, having established offices in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1955, businessman Ray Kroc became a franchise agent for the fast-food chain and later even purchased it from the McDonald brothers.

McDonald’s serves more than 69 million customers on a daily basis and operates in over 100 countries across the world. The chain had 37,855 outlets globally as of 2018. McDonald’s is primarily known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers and French Fries. But the chain also serves poultry products, breakfast items, soft drinks, wraps, milkshakes, and other desserts. In recent times, consumers have given negative feedback about the quality and healthiness of the food items served at McDonald’s and in response to this backlash, the fast-food chain has introduced healthy food items like salads, fruits, fish and smoothies.

The company generates revenue not only from sales but also from rent, royalties as well as the fees it gets from the franchisees. The fast-food chain is the world’s second-largest employer having employed over 1.7 million people, right behind Walmart. The data coincides with two reports published in 2018. In 2016, McDonald’s moved its headquarters to the West Loop in Chicago and established an office in the Near West Side community area.