Facts About McDonald's

Overview: McDonald's is the largest fast food restaurant chain with a boasted 52 million customers served daily. The chain consists of corporate owned restaurants, franchises, and affiliates. McDonald's is famous for its burgers and fries, but now offers healthier options. The family friendly atmosphere of the restaurant makes it a favorite spot for people of all ages.

History: McDonald's has a very interesting history dating back to 1940, when Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, seeing the need for faster service, they invented the "Speed Service" system. Another way they improved service was by streamlining the menu. They took away barbeque sandwiches and other items, leaving the signature burger and fries fare.

In 1954, Ray Croc visited the McDonald brothers because he'd heard their restaurant was using eight Multimixers. (Milk shake makers that he was the exclusive distributor of) Seeing how quickly people were being served using the Multimixers, he convinced the McDonald brothers that it would be a good idea to open franchises off their restaurant.

In 1955, Ray Croc opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines McDonalds. Deciding that he didn't want competition, in 1961, Ray Croc bought out the McDonald brothers for 2.7 million. The sale didn't include the original restaurant which still stands as a museum.

In 1963, McDonald's adopted Ronald McDonald as the official mascot. Children fell in love with the red-headed clown and McDonald's has never looked back. In 1974, they took it one step farther by creating Ronald McDonald House, the McDonald's charity. Ronald McDonald House offers families with critically ill children the opportunity to stay close by when the children are in hospitals.

Safety and Quality Information: McDonalds takes food safety and quality seriously.

There are more than 2,000 quality and safety checks done on McDonald's food products before they reach the restaurants. After reaching the restaurant, 72 safety protocols are practiced each day.

The beef and chicken served at McDonald's is 100% pure which ensures good taste and quality.

Health Information: McDonald's is committed to health.

McDonald's offers nutrition information on the packaging of their food, nutritional charts in the restaurants themselves, and online at their website. This gives consumers all the information they need to make healthy choices when eating in McDonald's restaurants.

Happy Meals provide healthier options for children, and McDonald's has playgrounds that encourage activity.

Warnings: Even though they offer healthy options, not everything on the menu at McDonald's should be eaten regularly. Hamburgers and fries are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories, and should only be consumed in moderation.

Benefits: Job advancement is expected when working with McDonald's. Many people start as crew members and go into management. A McDonald's CEO started as a crew member in a McDonald's restaurant and moved up the ranks.

McDonald's restaurants offer scholarships to help advance the education of employees.

McDonald's pays out over 1 billion annually for training, and was listed as the "Best Place to Work for Minorities" in 2005.

Geography: There are McDonald's in 119 countries. Some include the United States, England, Kuwait, Japan, and Russia.