MacDonald, Macdonald, and McDonald are Anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic name MacDhòmhnaill. It is a patronym where Mac means "son" and Dhòmhnaill means "of Dòmhnall". The personal name Dòmhnall is composed of the elements domno "world" and val "might", "rule". According to Alex Woolf, the Gaelic personal name is probably a borrowing from the British Dyfnwal.
In the context of Scottish clans, the various forms of the name refer to one of the largest clans, Clan Donald.
Frequency and distribution
Frequency data from England of 1891 shows a concentration of families bearing the "Macdonald" surname in Lancashire and Yorkshire with a lower frequency in the northernmost counties, but overall widespread distribution throughout the country. "McDonald" shares the same pattern of distribution. Looking at contemporaneous data from the United States, coast-to-coast distribution of both "Macdonald" and "McDonald" appears in 1880. Looking back to 1840 in the United States, the prevalence of "McDonald" is far greater than that of "Macdonald", with concentration in the Ohio-Pennsylvania-New York corridor.
Notable people: MacDonald surname
Born after 1400
John of Islay, Earl of Ross (1434–1503), or "John MacDonald", Scottish ruler, Fourth Lord of the Isles and Chief of the Highland Clan Donald
Born after 1700
Jacques MacDonald (1765–1840), French Duke of Tarento and Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon I (2nd generation French; father was Scottish)
John Small MacDonald (c.1791–1849), Canadian businessman and provincial politician
Born after 1800
Claude Maxwell MacDonald (1852–1915), British soldier and diplomat
George MacDonald (1824–1905), Scottish-English author, poet, and Christian minister
Hector MacDonald (1853–1903), Scottish Major-General of the British Army under Lord Kitchener
John Alexander Macdonald (1815–1891), first Prime minister of Canada
John L. MacDonald (1838–1903), Scottish-American national politician
Pirie MacDonald (1867–1942), American portrait photographer
Ramsay MacDonald (1866–1937), Scottish politician, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (son of "Macdonald" father and "Ramsay" mother, registered at birth as "James McDonald Ramsay")
Ranald MacDonald (1834–1894), Scottish-Chinook educator. First man to teach the English language in Japan
William Josiah MacDonald (1873–1946), American lawyer and national politician
A. B. MacDonald, American journalist
Born after 1900
Jeanette MacDonald (1903–1965), American singer and actress
John MacDonald (rower) (1908–1982), New Zealand rower
Ian MacDonald (actor) (1914–1978), American actor and director during the 1940s and 1960s
Ross Macdonald (1915–1983), pseudonym of the American-Canadian writer Kenneth Millar
John D. MacDonald (1916–1986), American novelist
Charles B. MacDonald (1922–1990), American World War II soldier and military historian
Peter MacDonald (Navajo leader) (born 1928) former chairman of the Navajo Nation
Jeffrey R. MacDonald (born 1943), American murderer
Kevin B. MacDonald (born 1944), American psychology academic
John MacDonald (Canadian musician) (born 1948), Canadian musician of the French horn (current residence, Germany)
Born after 1950
Alan MacDonald (rugby union) (born 1985), Scottish rugby union player
Andrew McDonald (water polo) (born 1955), American water polo player
Ann-Marie MacDonald (born 1958), Canadian playwright, novelist, actor and broadcast journalist (born in West Germany to Canadian military parents)
Garry MacDonald, English footballer
Heidi MacDonald, American comic book editor and comics critic
Jason MacDonald (born 1975), Canadian Mixed martial artist
Kevin MacDonald (footballer) (born 1960), Scottish footballer
Kirk MacDonald (ice hockey), Canadian ice hockey player
Kirk MacDonald (politician), member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Mike MacDonald, French-Canadian comedian and actor
Roddie MacDonald (born 1954), Scottish footballer
Roddy (R.S.) MacDonald, Scottish-Australian Pipe Major and composer (26 year residence in England)
Shaun MacDonald (born 1988), Welsh footballer
William J. MacDonald (writer and producer), American television writer and producer
Notable people: Macdonald surname
Born after 1800
John Sandfield Macdonald (1812–1872), Canadian national politician, First Premier of Ontario
Sir John A. Macdonald (1815–1891), Scottish-Canadian national politician, first Prime Minister of Canada
Donald Alexander Macdonald (1817–1896), Canadian national politician
John Macdonald (Canadian politician) (1824–1890), Scottish-Canadian merchant, churchman, philanthropist and national politician
William Christoper Macdonald (1831–1917), Scottish-Canadian tobacco manufacturer, philanthropist
Charles B. Macdonald (1855–1939), American golfer, introduced the first 18-hole course in the United States (2nd generation American, born to Scottish father and Canadian mother)
Harry Macdonough (born "John Macdonald" 1871–1931), Canadian singer and recording executive
John Alexander Macdonald (Prince Edward Island politician) (1874–1948), Canadian national politician
Captain Murdo Stewart MacDonald (1852–1938) the last Sea Baron and Lloyds Surveyor of Shipping
William Alexander Macdonald (fl. 1890's), Canadian provincial politician
William Ross Macdonald (1891–1976), Canadian national politician (2nd generation Canadian born to Scottish immigrant father)
Born after 1900
Archibald 'Archie' James Florence Macdonald (1904–1983), British Liberal MP
Dwight Macdonald (1906–1982) American writer, editor, social critic, philosopher, and political radical.
John Michael Macdonald (1906–1997), Canadian national politician
James David Macdonald (ornithologist) (1908–2002), British and Australian ornithologist
Margaret Mary Macdonald (1910–1968), Canadian national politician
Callum Macdonald (publisher) (1912–1999), Scottish publisher who specialised in poetry
James David Macdonald (politician) (born 1922), Canadian politician
Ian G. Macdonald (born 1928), English mathematician, a prominent contributor to algebraic combinatorics
Ian Macdonald (Australian politician) (born 1945), Australian national politician
Born after 1950
Sir Ken Macdonald QC (born 1953), British barrister, Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (2003–2008)
Norm Macdonald (born 1963), Canadian comedian/actor
Kelly Macdonald (born 1976), Scottish actress
Amy Macdonald (born 1987), Scottish singer/songwriter
Amy MacDonald (writer) (born 1951), American writer and journalist
Ian Macdonald (New South Wales politician) (living), Australian state politician
Kevin Macdonald (director), Film director (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void)
Dame Mary Macdonald (born 1950), Head Teacher, honoured for Services to Education
Notable people: McDonald surname
Born after 1800
William Jesse McDonald (1852–1918), leader of the Texas Ranger Division and bodyguard to Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson
Eugene F. McDonald (1886–1958), American entrepreneur, founder of Zenith Radio
James Grover McDonald (1886–1964), American diplomat, first Ambassador to Israel
Born after 1900
Sir Arthur McDonald (1903–1996), British West Indian-English Royal Air Force Air Marshal
Marie McDonald (1923–1965), American film actress
Walt McDonald (born 1934), American poet, academic, Poet Laureate of Texas
Very Revd Dr Alexander McDonald (born 1937), Scottish Minister of the Church of Scotland
Sir Trevor McDonald (born "George McDonald" 1939), Trinidadian-born British news presenter
Country Joe McDonald (born 1942), American musician and activist
Ian McDonald (musician) (born 1946), English rock musician
Mac McDonald (born 1949), American actor
Roy McDonald (poet) (born 1937), Canadian poet and busker
Roy McDonald (politician) (born 1946) New York State Senator
Susan Marshall McDonald (1918–1992), philatelist of Ohio,
Laurier McDonald (born 1931), Texas Attorney, Historian, Author.
Born after 1950
Hugh McDonald (musician) (born 1950), American musician, bassist
Christopher McDonald (actor) (born 1955), American actor
Ian McDonald (author) (born 1960), English science fiction novelist (residence in Northern Ireland)
Daniel McDonald (actor) (1960–2007), American actor
Kevin McDonald (born 1961), Canadian comedian and actor
Neil McDonald (born 1965), former English professional footballer turned coach
Rod McDonald (born 1967), English footballer
David Tennant (born "McDonald" 1971), Scottish actor
John McDonald (born 1974), American professional baseball player
Andy McDonald (born 1977), Canadian professional ice hockey player
Shawn McDonald (born 1978), American Christian singer, songwriter and guitarist
Mark McDonald (born 1980), Scottish politician
Scott McDonald (born 1983), Australian footballer
Kevin McDonald (footballer born 1985) (born 1985), English footballer
Kevin McDonald (footballer born 1988) (born 1988), Scottish footballer
Clayton McDonald (born 1988), English footballer
Pseudonyms
Ian MacDonald (born "MacCormick" 1948–2003), British music critic and author.
Relationships
Brothers: J.S. Macdonald (b.1812) ↔ D.A. Macdonald (b.1817)
Brothers: C. McDonald (b.1955) ↔ D. McDonald (b.1960)
Father-son: A. McDonald (b.1937) → D. Tennant (McDonald) (b.1971)
Father-Daughter-in-Law: J.A. Macdonald (b.1874) → M.M. Macdonald (b.1910)
Notable fictional characters
Domenica Macdonald, fictional character in the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith.
Old McDonald or Old MacDonald, farmer featured in the children's song "Old McDonald Had a Farm"
Ronald McDonald, the mascot for the McDonald's fast food chain.
VANCOUVER - McDonald's Canada is betting a bundle that making its restaurants much cozier and more entertainment-and Internet-friendly will leave customers lovin' it even more.
The company said it will spend $1 billion to renovate and refurbish most of its 1,400 restaurants across the country. It is the biggest transformation in the company's 44-year Canadian history.
That means bringing free and unlimited Wi-Fi access, fireplaces, flat-screen televisions, double-lane drive-thrus and interior stone and tile accents in a bid to modernize the chain, which has been battling to gain market share against coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons Inc.
Tim Hortons, which became the country's biggest quick-service restaurant chain in 2002, began gaining its fast-food foothold when it expanded its breakfast and lunch menus more than a decade ago.
Many of McDonald's new innovations announced Wednesday were tested in Vancouver restaurants during the 2010 Olympics.
"During the Olympics, we put our best foot forward," John Betts, president and CEO of McDonald's Canada, said in an interview, citing softer seating materials and accent lighting as examples.
Betts said that "strong and sustained" business growth in recent years has allowed the company to invest heavily in improving restaurant ambience and service, while introducing new menu items.
Betts said the change is all about "brand transformation," and that competition from Hortons and other chains was not part of the decision. "Our mission is to be Canada's favourite place and way to eat and drink."
However, Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president, Western Canada, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said in an interview that the $1 billion investment shows how competitive the marketplace is.
"This is a big investment. It's something McDonald's feels it has to do."
A franchisee sold to the McDonald’s corporation the 39 restaurants he had owned. He still owns six franchise locations in Calgary.
Sabrina Paquette, 18, who was dining Wednesday at the Crowfoot McDonald’s with George Bermudez, 19, and Chris Costea, 20, said she welcomes the changes that are coming to the restaurants.
“It makes you want to come more often,” she said.
Bermudez said the changes to the image of McDonald’s are needed and Costea said he too welcomes a new style and design.
“That will attract the young people,” said Costea. “It’s a fast place so it’s clean. For a fast (food) place that matters a lot. You trust the quality more. Definitely good changes.”
David Finch, assistant professor of marketing at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University, said McDonald’s started the transformation in Europe a few years ago.
“It’s about keeping fresh, obviously,” he said. “Being stale in the quick service industry is not a good place to be. In Canada, we have very unique dynamics. We have obviously Starbucks on one side but we also have Tim Hortons on the other which is a very unique Canadian brand.
“For McDonald’s in the Canadian context, it has to really find that sweet spot. On one side, make an environment that can appeal to the people that may want to slide down to a Starbucks. But simultaneously create a unique presence in the marketplace that they can pull people away from Tim Hortons which is inherently very difficult because of the iconic nature of the Canadian identity Tim Hortons holds.”
He said that at the end of the day they are all vying for the same consumer wallet.
McDonald’s said there will be new interior and exterior designs, including prominent fireplaces, flat-screen televisions, stone and tile accents, as well as wood tones and colourful wall graphics.
Dining rooms are divided into separate eating areas for larger groups, on-the-go customers, families, or for individuals who want to stay, relax and enjoy amenities such as free and unlimited Wi-Fi, said McDonald’s.
There will also be the addition of double-lane drive-thrus in many locations.
“McDonald’s is changing as our customers’ needs are changing and we’re committed like never before to staying connected and relevant to them,” said Betts.
More than half of the company’s restaurants will have been renovated by the end of this year, with plans to have the majority of its remaining restaurants transformed by the end of 2012.
McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 80,000 Canadians coast-to-coast.
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily. Headquartered in the United States, the corporation was founded by businessman Ray Kroc in 1955 after he purchased the rights to a small hamburger chain operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald.
A McDonald's restaurant is operated by either a franchisee, an affiliate, or the corporation itself. The corporation's revenues come from the rent, royalties and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. McDonald's revenues grew 27% over the three years ending in 2007 to $22.8 billion, and 9% growth in operating income to $3.9 billion.
McDonald's primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes and desserts. In response to changing consumer tastes, the company has expanded its menu to include salads, wraps and fruit.
History
The business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Their introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 furthered the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant that the White Castle hamburger chain had already put into practice more than two decades earlier. The original mascot of McDonald's was a man with a chef's hat on top of a hamburger shaped head whose name was "Speedee." Speedee was eventually replaced with Ronald McDonald by 1967 when the company first filed a U.S. trademark on a clown shaped man having puffed out costume legs.
McDonald's first filed for a U.S. trademark on the name McDonald's on May 4, 1961, with the description "Drive-In Restaurant Services," which continues to be renewed through the end of December 2009. In the same year, on September 13, 1961, the company filed a logo trademark on an overlapping, double arched "M" symbol. The overlapping double arched "M" symbol logo was temporarily disfavored by September 6, 1962, when a trademark was filed for a single arch, shaped over many of the early McDonald's restaurants in the early years. The famous double arched "M" symbol in use today did not appear until November 18, 1968, when the company filed a U.S. trademark.
The first McDonald's restaurants opened in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, France, El Salvador and Sweden, in order of openings.
The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955, the ninth McDonald's restaurant overall. Kroc later purchased the McDonald brothers' equity in the company and led its worldwide expansion, and the company became listed on the public stock markets in 1965. Kroc was also noted for aggressive business practices, compelling the McDonald brothers to leave the fast food industry. The McDonald brothers and Kroc feuded over control of the business, as documented in both Kroc's autobiography and in the McDonald brothers' autobiography. The site of the McDonald brothers' original restaurant is now a monument.
Corporate overview
Facts and figures
McDonald's restaurants are found in 119 countries and territories around the world and serve 58 million customers each day. McDonald's operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide, employing more than 1.5 million people. The company also operates other restaurant brands, such as Piles Café.
Focusing on its core brand, McDonald's began divesting itself of other chains it had acquired during the 1990s. The company owned a majority stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill until October 2006, when McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange. Until December 2003, it also owned Donatos Pizza. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's sold Boston Market to Sun Capital Partners.
Types of restaurants
Most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both counter service and drive-through service, with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating. Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and Drive, or "McDrive" as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying for, and picking up orders, though the latter two steps are frequently combined; it was first introduced in Arizona in 1975, following the lead of other fast-food chains. The first such restaurant in Britain opened at Fallowfield, Manchester in 1986.
Some locations are connected to gas stations/convenience stores, while others called McExpress have limited seating and/or menu or may be located in a shopping mall. Other McDonald's are located in Wal-Mart stores. McStop is a location targeted at truckers and travelers which may have services found at truck stops.
Since 1997, the only Kosher McDonald's in the world that is not in Israel, is located in the "Abasto de Buenos Aires", Argentina.
Playgrounds
Some McDonald's in suburban areas and certain cities feature large indoor or outdoor playgrounds. The first PlayPlace with the familiar crawl-tube design with ball pits and slides was introduced in 1987 in the USA, with many more being constructed soon after. Some PlayPlace playgrounds have been renovated into "R Gym" areas.
Redesign
The McDonald's restaurant in Banbury's Bridge Street in 2010. It is still in white paint outside and blue/grey/brown inside as it was since 2002.
The design includes the traditional McDonald's yellow and red colors, but the red is muted to terra cotta, the yellow was turned golden for a more "sunny" look, and olive and sage green were also added. To warm up their look, the restaurants have less plastic and more brick and wood, with modern hanging lights to produce a softer glow. Contemporary art or framed photographs hang on the walls.
Business model
McDonald's Corporation earns revenue as an investor in properties, a franchiser of restaurants, and an operator of restaurants. Approximately 15% of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by McDonald's Corporation directly. The remainder are operated by others through a variety of franchise agreements and joint ventures. The McDonald's Corporation's business model is slightly different from that of most other fast-food chains. In addition to ordinary franchise fees and marketing fees, which are calculated as a percentage of sales, McDonald's may also collect rent, which may also be calculated on the basis of sales. As a condition of many franchise agreements, which vary by contract, age, country, and location, the Corporation may own or lease the properties on which McDonald's franchises are located. In most, if not all cases, the franchisee does not own the location of its restaurants.
The UK business model is different, in that fewer than 30% of restaurants are franchised, with the majority under the ownership of the company. McDonald's trains its franchisees and others at Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois.
In other countries, McDonald's restaurants are operated by joint ventures of McDonald's Corporation and other, local entities or governments.
As a matter of policy, McDonald's does not make direct sales of food or materials to franchisees, instead organizing the supply of food and materials to restaurants through approved third party logistics operators.
Controversies
As a prominent example of the rapid globalization of the American fast food industry, McDonald's is often the target of criticism for its menu, its expansion, and its business practices.
The McLibel Trial, also known as McDonald's Restaurants v Morris & Steel, is an example of this criticism. In 1990, activists from a small group known as London Greenpeace (no connection to the international group Greenpeace) distributed leaflets entitled What's wrong with McDonald's?, criticizing its environmental, health, and labor record. The corporation wrote to the group demanding they desist and apologize, and, when two of the activists refused to back down, sued them for libel in one of the longest cases in British civil law. A documentary film of the McLibel Trial has been shown in several countries.
Despite the objections of McDonald's, the term "McJob" was added to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in 2003. The term was defined as "a low-paying job that requires little skill and provides little opportunity for advancement". In an open letter to Merriam-Webster, Jim Cantalupo, former CEO of McDonald's, denounced the definition as a "slap in the face" to all restaurant employees, and stated that "a more appropriate definition of a 'McJob' might be 'teaches responsibility.'" Merriam-Webster responded that "we stand by the accuracy and appropriateness of our definition.
In 1999, French anti-globalisation activist José Bové vandalized a half-built McDonald's to protest against the introduction of fast food in the region.
In 2001, Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation included criticism of the business practices of McDonald's. Among the critiques were allegations that McDonald's (along with other companies within the fast food industry) uses its political influence to increase its profits at the expense of people's health and the social conditions of its workers. The book also brought into question McDonald's advertisement techniques in which it targets children. While the book did mention other fast-food chains, it focused primarily on McDonald's.
Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary film Super Size Me said that McDonald's food was contributing to the epidemic of obesity in society, and that the company was failing to provide nutritional information about its food for its customers. Six weeks after the film premiered, McDonald's announced that it was eliminating the super size option, and was creating the adult happy meal.
The soya that is fed to McDonald’s chickens is supplied by agricultural giant Cargill and comes directly from Brazil. Greenpeace alleges that not only is soya destroying the Amazon rain forest in Brazil, but soya farmers are guilty of further crimes including slavery and the invasion of indigenous peoples’ lands. The allegation is that McDonald's, as a client of Cargill's, is complicit in these activities.
Arguments in defense
In response to public pressure, McDonald's has sought to include more healthy choices in its menu and has introduced a new slogan to its recruitment posters: "Not bad for a McJob". (The word McJob, first attested in the mid-1980s and later popularized by Canadian novelist Douglas Coupland in his book Generation X, has become a buzz word for low-paid, unskilled work with few prospects or benefits and little security.) McDonald's disputes the idea[which?]. In 2007, the company launched an advertising campaign with the slogan "Would you like a career with that?" on Irish television, outlining that their jobs have many prospects.
McDonald's announced on May 22, 2008 that, in the U.S. and Canada, it would switch to using cooking oil that contains no trans fats for its french fries, and canola-based oil with corn and soy oils, for its baked items, pies and cookies, by year's end.
With regard to acquiring chickens from suppliers who use CAK or CAS methods of slaughter, McDonald's says that they need to see more research "to help determine whether any CAS system in current use is optimal from an animal welfare perspective.
Environmental record
In April 2008, McDonald's announced that 11 of its Sheffield, England restaurants have been using a biomass trial that had cut its waste and carbon footprint by half in the area. In this trial, waste from the restaurants were collected by Veolia Environmental Services and used to produce energy at a power plant. McDonald's plans to expand this project, although the lack of biomass power plants in the U.S. will prevent this plan from becoming a national standard anytime soon. In addition, in Europe, McDonald's has been recycling vegetable grease by converting it to fuel for their diesel trucks.
Furthermore, McDonald's has been using a corn-based bioplastic to produce containers for some of their products. Although industries who use this product claim a carbon savings of 30% to 80%, a Guardian study shows otherwise. The results show that this type of plastic does not break down in landfills as efficiently as other conventional plastics. The extra energy it takes to recycle this plastic results in a higher output of greenhouse gases. Also, the plastics can contaminate waste streams, causing other recycled plastics to become unsaleable.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized McDonald's continuous effort to reduce solid waste by designing more efficient packaging and by promoting the use of recycled-content materials.
In an effort to reduce energy usage by 25% in its restaurants, McDonald's opened a prototype restaurant in Chicago in 2009 with the intention of using the model in its other restaurants throughout the world. Building on past efforts, specifically a restaurant it opened in Sweden in 2000 that was the first to intentionally incorporate green ideas, McDonald's designed the Chicago site to save energy by incorporating old and new ideas such as managing storm water, using skylights for more natural lighting and installing some partitions and tabletops made from recycled goods.
Legal cases
McDonald's has been involved in a number of lawsuits and other legal cases, most of which involved trademark disputes. The company has threatened many food businesses with legal action unless they drop the Mc or Mac from their trading name. In one noteworthy case, McDonald's sued a Scottish café owner called McDonald, even though the business in question dated back over a century (Sheriff Court Glasgow and Strathkelvin, November 21, 1952). On September 8, 2009, McDonald's Malaysian operations lost a lawsuit to prevent another restaurant calling itself McCurry. McDonald's lost in an appeal to Malaysia's highest court, the Federal Court.
It has also filed numerous defamation suits. For example, in the McLibel case, McDonald's sued two activists for distributing pamphlets attacking its environmental, labor and health records. After the longest trial in UK legal history, the judge found that some claims in the pamphlet were untrue and therefore libellous. The company, however, had asserted that all claims in the pamphlet were untrue, essentially obliging the judge to publicly rule on each one. Embarrassingly for the company, several of the specific allegations were upheld.
McDonald's has defended itself in several cases involving workers' rights. In 2001 the company was fined £12,400 by British magistrates for illegally employing and over-working child labor in one of its London restaurants. This is thought to be one of the largest fines imposed on a company for breaking laws relating to child working conditions (R v 2002 EWCA Crim 1094). In April 2007 in Perth, Western Australia, McDonald's pleaded guilty to five charges relating to the employment of children under 15 in one of its outlets and was fined AU$8,000.
Possibly the most infamous legal case involving McDonald's was the 1994 decision in The McDonald's Coffee Case where Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns after spilling a fresh cup of McDonald's coffee on herself.
Products
McDonald's predominantly sells hamburgers, various types of chicken sandwiches and products, French fries, soft drinks, breakfast items, and desserts. In most markets, McDonald's offers salads and vegetarian items, wraps and other localized fare. On a seasonal basis, McDonald's offers the McRib sandwich. Some speculate the seasonality of the McRib adds to its appeal.Portugal is the only country with McDonald's restaurants currently serving soup. This local deviation from the standard menu is a characteristic for which the chain is particularly known, and one which is employed either to abide by regional food taboos (such as the religious prohibition of beef consumption in India) or to make available foods with which the regional market is more familiar (such as the sale of McRice in Indonesia).
Headquarters
The McDonald's headquarters complex, McDonald's Plaza, is located in Oak Brook, Illinois. It sits on the site of the former headquarters and stabling area of Paul Butler, the founder of Oak Brook. McDonald's moved into the Oak Brook facility from an office within the Chicago Loop in 1971.
Advertising
McDonald's has for decades maintained an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic Games, and makes coolers of orange drink with their logo available for local events of all kinds. Nonetheless, television has always played a central role in the company's advertising strategy.
To date, McDonald's has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising[citation needed], as well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions. At times, it has run into trouble with its campaigns.
Children's advertising
McDonald's has become emblematic of globalization, sometimes referred to as the "McDonaldization" of society. The Economist newspaper uses the "Big Mac Index": the comparison of a Big Mac's cost in various world currencies can be used to informally judge these currencies' purchasing power parity. Norway has the most expensive Big Mac in the world as of July 2011, while the country with the least expensive Big Mac is India (albeit for a Maharaja Mac—the next cheapest Big Mac is Hong Kong).
Thomas Friedman once said that no country with a McDonald's had gone to war with another. However, the "Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention" is not strictly true. Exceptions are the 1989 United States invasion of Panama, NATO's bombing of Serbia in 1999, the 2006 Lebanon War, and the 2008 South Ossetia war.
Some observers have suggested that the company should be given credit for increasing the standard of service in markets that it enters. A group of anthropologists in a study entitled Golden Arches East looked at the impact McDonald's had on East Asia, and Hong Kong in particular. When it opened in Hong Kong in 1975, McDonald's was the first restaurant to consistently offer clean restrooms, driving customers to demand the same of other restaurants and institutions. McDonald's have recently taken to partnering up with Sinopec, the second largest oil company in the People's Republic of China, as it begins to take advantage of the country's growing use of personal vehicles by opening numerous drive-thru restaurants.
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving more than 58 million customers daily. In addition to its signature restaurant chain, McDonald’s Corporation held a minority interest in Pret A Manger until 2008, was a major investor in the Chipotle Mexican Grill until 2006, and owned the restaurant chain Boston Market until 2007.
As McDonald's has increasingly expanded internationally over the years, the company now offers a regionalized version of its menu, from satisfying the local population to conforming to religious beliefs of a particular country. This results in products that are specific to particular regions and which are not seen in other countries McDonald's operates in.
Africa
Egypt
In summer of 2008 McDonald's introduced Fish Fingers with tartar dipping sauce as a side entrée. A Chicken Big Mac, which is the same as a standard Big Mac, though it is made with breaded chicken the same thickness as a Big Mac patty. In 2001, McDonald's introduced the McFalafel sandwich. Another menu item is the Fish Mac, with two fish patties. A chicken version of the Big Mac is also sold in Egypt. Also introduced to the Cairo McDonald's in early 2010 are Egyptian Cookies.
Morocco
The McArabia, a grilled chicken sandwich served on a flatbread is sold in the Middle East. In 2005, the McSahara was briefly sold. In late 2006, the Chicken Mythic, Petit Plaisirs (Small Pleasures, a sandwich usually made from chicken or beef), and a 280 gram Recette Moutarde (Mustard Burger) were all released. The McFlurry flavors rotate and as of 2010 include Carambar. During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a special menu is offered for the breaking of the fast that includes local specialties such as dates, milk, and harirra soup.
Asia
Bahrain
In addition to McArabia, McDonald's restaurants in Bahrain, beginning in March 2008, sell the McCrispy, a meal consisting of one, two, or three chicken strips served in a wrapper for a single strip or in a box for two or three, with a choice of barbecue, sweet and sour, or garlic sauce. As in all of McDonald's restaurants in the Muslim Middle East, all food served in Bahraini outlets is halal.
China
In China, Chicken McNuggets come with the traditional barbecue, sweet and sour, honey and hot mustard sauces, but also a chili garlic sauce (very popular in China). They also include crispy chicken wings (called McWings) on their menu, which comes in two, four and six pieces. There is also a seasonal Chinese New Year meal available, including the Grilled Chicken Burger, curly fries, with a horoscope of the twelve zodiac animals of Chinese astrology and traditional red packets (lai see), for monetary gift giving as good luck. Note that all chicken burgers offered in Chinese McDonald's use thigh fillet (e.g. Premium Grilled Thigh Fillet Burger, Hot and Spicy Grilled Thigh Fillet Burger), rather than breast meat as per usual in occidental countries. The Big 'N' Tasty is sold as the Big 'n' Beefy in the Chinese market and is topped with cheese, cucumber and mild-spicy Thousand Island dressing. Pies come in two standard flavors - pineapple and taro (a kind of sweet potato), although limited flavors including chocolate, banana and azuki bean have also been offered. A unique feature of Chinese McDonald's is the 'McExpress' walk-up window, which sells a small range of drinks and ice cream desserts and are usually located on the outside of a building. Most McExpress windows are attached to restaurants but in some cases can be physically independent but usually managed by a nearby restaurant and are typically located in shopping malls, department stores and subway stations. McDonald's China offers a delivery service in most major cities - the delivery number within China is 4008 517 517, as the Chinese pronunciation of 517 is wu yao qi, which sounds similar to wo yao chi, meaning "I want to eat".
Hong Kong
McDonald's sells beef and chicken burgers. Fried chicken wings (McWings) and nuggets (Chicken McNuggets) are also popular. In some restaurants, a separate counter sells ice cream and desserts to pedestrians. Soft serve ice cream can be ordered with either azuki bean or mung bean. Some restaurants have a section for the McCafé. Apart from the general menu, it also promotes some other foods seasonally or longer, like spicy French fries, the Shogun Burger (a teriyaki pork patty with lettuce, served in a sesame seed bun), Grilled Chicken Burger, twisted macaroni breakfasts, salads, soups, pineapple or red bean sundae, pineapple pies, taco flatbreads with pork, beef or chicken, Rice Fantastic (a burger-like entree with rice patties in place of buns) and many others. A cup of corn is always available as a substitute for French fries in a set-menu, or for purchase on its own. Hong Kong hosts some of the world's busiest McDonald's with many operating round the clock. It also sells many toys or dolls, like Hello Kitty, Snoopy, and Disney figures in addition to set meals, which are very popular. In Chinese New Year, red packets are included in set meals. During the local Bun Festival, McDonald's restaurant on the island of Cheung Chau sells mushroom burgers instead of hamburgers and any other items that contain meat. In Kowloon Park, there is also a small counter named Snack Station selling ice cream, as well as a counter that sells McDonald's drinks in the swimming pool.
Shake Shake Fries - flavored French fries. Shake Shake Fries are only available in certain periods of time throughout the year.
India
Beef and pork products are not offered to observe Indian religious sensitivities. Halal certified chicken and fish are the only meat products used in India.
In India, meat and vegetarian meals are prepared in separate areas of the restaurant because of religious laws about preparation of food for vegetarians and meat-eaters. Cooks preparing vegetarian dishes wear distinctive green aprons.
The Vegetable McCurry Pan, the famous dish is very popular and is an original creation of McDonald's across India. It starts with a rectangular shaped crust that is topped with a creamy sauce, mushrooms and vegetables including broccoli and bell pepper. It is then baked until the crust is crisp and the toppings are hot and bubbly.
The Chicken McCurry Pan is the same as its vegetarian version. It starts off with a rectangle of dough and is topped with a tomato-curry sauce, spiced with thyme, basil and oregano. It is finished off with chicken, bell peppers, and cheese and is baked till crisp and bubbly.
There is an Indian version of the Big Mac, called the Maharaja Mac, which is made with two grilled chicken patties and is topped with onions, tomatoes, cheese and a spicy mayonnaise. It was originally made with lamb, but is now made with chicken.
Mexican-style wraps for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, like the Mexican Chicken Wrap, and Curry Pans in shahi paneer and chicken tikka variations are also offered.
The Paneer Salsa Wrap is sold in India. It starts with a small slab of paneer that has been dredged in a coating that is a cross between Mexican and Cajun in flavor. It is fried and the paneer patty is wrapped in flatbread and topped with a mixture that includes lettuce, red cabbage and celery and then is finished off with vegetarian mayonnaise, salsa and cheddar cheese.
Other items on the Indian menu include chicken and fish products like the McChicken and the Filet-O-Fish.
The vegetarian burger menu consists of the McAloo Tikki Burger. It is a veggie burger which includes a patty made out of potatoes, peas, and spices. It also includes tomato slices, onions, and vegetarian mayonnaise.
McVeggie is another vegetarian burger on the menu. It looks similar to the McAloo Tikki Burger (see above), but starts with a sesame seed bun. In between the bread, you'll find a vegetarian patty that is made from peas, carrots, green beans, red bell pepper, potatoes, onions, rice, and seasoning. The burger is then garnished with lettuce and has mayonnaise (referred to as Veg Sauce in India) spread thickly on the bread. Another menu item sold there is the Chicken McGrill. It starts off with a thin grilled chicken patty that is embellished with cilantro mayonnaise, onions and tomatoes and is served on a toasted bun.
Indonesia
All McDonald's in Indonesia are certified halal.
Local menu items:
Crispy chicken and hot chicken: Fried chicken, which is by far more popular than the hamburgers.
McRice: Small mound of steamed, plain rice (larger rice item is called Supersize Rice).
McSoup: Chicken flavored soup with bits of croutons and vegetables.
McSatay: Bun containing a beef patty covered with satay sauce (spicy ground peanut sauce).
Bubur ayam or chicken congee.
Beef Prosperity Burger: Consists of two beef patties covered in black pepper sauce and topped with diced onions. Sold during the Chinese New Year.
McDonald's sells most of the items in combo packages, such as Paket Hemat or Pahe (Saver Combo) and Paket Nasi or Panas (Rice Combo). Chilli sauce, an essential component of Indonesian cuisine, and ketchup are available.
Since 2011, McDonald's Indonesia tends to open new restaurants in residential areas and not in shopping malls due to shopping malls open later. It is inline with new package of breakfast may be bought from 5:00am to 11:00am.
Israel
McDonald's has Kosher branches only in Israel and Argentina. Patties are barbecued on charcoal rather than fried.
McShawarma (shawarma served in flatbread) and McKebab (kebab served on flatbread) are specialty items on the Israeli menu. On January 18, 2011 McDonald's introduced the McFalafel sandwich in Israel, but subsequently withdrew the item on 12 July 2011.
In Israel, most branches are non-Kosher since they serve cheeseburgers (mixing dairy products and meat violates Kosher food requirements) and they serve milk based desserts (ice cream, milkshakes).
Japan
Teriyaki McBurger: Ground pork patties (similar to breakfast sausage patties without seasoning) with mayonnaise, lettuce, and teriyaki sauce.
Ebi-Chiki Set: Two shrimp nuggets and three chicken nuggets.
Ebi Filet-O-Shrimp: Shrimp burger with special sauce and lettuce.
Juicy Chicken Red Pepper Burger: Chicken burger with spicy sauce, lettuce, and mayonnaise.
Shaka Shaka Chicken: Fried chicken patty served in a paper pouch. Comes with seasonings that are shaken in the bag.
McPork: Pork burger with lettuce and onions.
Bacon Lettuce Burger: Fried patty served with bacon, onions, cheese, lettuce, and Big Mac special sauce on a toasted bun.
Fish McDippers - Four or six crispy fish nuggets, served with tartar sauce and Thai chili sauce. Also served in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Seasonal and Limited Time menu items include:
Chicken Katsu Burger: Breaded chicken sandwich flavored with soy sauce and ginger.
Gratin Korokke Burger: Sandwich with Korokke (breaded mashed potatoes) filled with gratin, shrimp, macaroni, shredded cabbage, and katsu sauce. Served during winter. Served with or without cheese.
Green tea-flavored milkshakes
Salsa Burger: Breaded chicken sandwich with salsa.
Tamago Double Mac: Hamburger with three beef patties, pepper sauce, bacon, and a poached egg. Served with or without cheese.
Teri Tama Burger: Teriyaki burger with egg, served during spring.
Tsukimi Burger (lit. moon-viewing burger): Hamburger with one beef patty, fry sauce (mayonnaise and ketchup), bacon and a poached egg, served before and during Tsukimi season. The egg represents the moon. Served with or without cheese.
Ume Nuggets: Chicken McNuggets with sour ume (plum) sauce for dipping.
Mega Mac: A Big Mac with four beef patties instead of two.
Mega Teriyaki: A Teriyaki style Big Mac. Two pork patties separated by a "middle bun" and with served with mayonnaise, lettuce, teriyaki sauce, and cheese.
[edit]Malaysia
Being a Muslim-majority country, all McDonald's in Malaysia are certified halal. Thus, pork products are not offered in Malaysian McDonald's to satisfy halal certification requirements.
The standard menu items served in Malaysia include Big Mac, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, Quarter Pounder, Big N' Tasty, McChicken, Chicken McNuggets, Fillet-O-Fish and McMuffins.
Local menu items:
Spicy Chicken McDeluxe: A burger consists of marinated chicken thigh meat with crispy coat, with lettuce and special sauce in corn meal-bun.
Ayam Goreng McD (Literally McD Fried Chicken): A two-piece fried chicken. Comes in regular or spicy.
Bubur Ayam McD (Literally McD Chicken Rice Porridge): Chicken strips in rice porridge with scallions, sliced ginger, fried shallots and diced chillies.
Beef burger: A basic beef burger, marketed under the McSaver menu.
Chicken burger: A basic chicken burger, marketed under the McSaver menu.
Seasonal and limited-time menu items:
Prosperity Burger: Usually available during Chinese New Year.
Prosperity Chicken Burger: Occasionally offered at the same time as the Prosperity Burger.
Double McChicken, Double Fillet-o-Fish, Double McDeluxe: Respective burgers with double patty, limited-time recurring items, last served in 2010.
GCB: A burger with grilled chicken thigh topped with sauce and lettuce, served in 2010.
Pakistan
McDonald's Pakistan offers the standard range of items in all its 23 outlets plus several other regional offerings similar to those available in the Middle Eastern and South Asian outlets. The McArabia and Spicy Chicken Burger is very popular. A chicken version of the Big Mac is also sold. As in many Middle Eastern restaurants, all food is served halal.
Philippines
McDonald's Philippines sells items that cater to local tastes. Some of the following:
McSpaghetti: Spaghetti noodles served in sweet tomato sauce, topped with grated pasteurized cheese.
Burger McDo: Beef burger served with Special Sauce (a sweeter version of Thousand Island dressing) in a bun
Hamdesal: Pandesal bun served with pineapple glaze syrup, mayonnaise and Canadian bacon. It also comes with scrambled egg, cheese or both.
Twister Fries: Breaded twister-shaped French fries fried in vegetable oil. Only served for a limited time.
Chicken McDo: Available in one or two pieces. Fried chicken served with rice/McSpaghetti (one piece only) and chicken gravy, also available in a spicy variant.
Crispy Chicken Fillet: Breaded chicken fillet served with rice and chicken gravy
Longaniza with Rice: Longaniza (Philippine chorizo) served with rice and fried egg. Available only during breakfast hours.
McNuggets with Rice: Five Chicken McNuggets served with rice and barbecue sauce.
Chicken Party Pack: A pack of Chicken McDo, comes in five piece orders.
Pies come in three variations: Apple, pineapple and taro
McRice: Steamed rice formed into buns, which replaces the bread buns with a beef or breaded chicken patty, served with lettuce and a sweet and spicy sauce. Introduced in 2001 and discontinued in 2006.
Only selected stores serve milkshakes.
McTeriyaki Burger: Was part of the menu during the 1990s.
McDonald's also combines most of its items to form combos, to compete with Jollibee.
The plain McDonald's hamburger (PHP42.00) costs more than the cheeseburger (PHP43.00) due to a promo.
Due to their low prices, Chicken McDo and Crispy Chicken Fillet outsell Chicken McNuggets in the country to the point where many branches do not offer the latter product. Also, select branches sell Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese by request.
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, pork products are prohibited by Islamic law. All meat sold is halal. Saudi locations also serve special burgers such as double Big Mac, Double Quarter Pounder, Chicken Big Mac, and Spicy McChicken. The McArabia is also served. McDonald's in Saudi Arabia also serves the Big Tasty, which is included in some European locations. Saudi Arabia is also one of the only countries where McDonald's has twenty-four hour delivery service.
Singapore
McDonald's in Singapore offers the McSpicy, a chicken burger with a thick thigh chop prepared with a special spicy zest. The McArabia is also offered as the Grilled Chicken Foldover. Seasonal or limited-time menu items include the Prosperity Burger (usually offered around Chinese New Year), Shaker Fries and the Quarter Pounder. It has also introduced "double" variants of its burgers, such as the Mega Mac, the McSpicy Double and the Double Quarter Pounder, doubling the meat patties of the original. Milkshakes are available only at dessert kiosks at selected outlets. Dessert kiosks also sell waffle cone ice cream with three flavors, Chocolate, Vanilla and Twist. A 24-Hour McDelivery service, which is also offered in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea, is available to locations islandwide.
Until 2002, McDonald's Singapore offered Chicken McCrispy, which was a box meal of two pieces of chicken. But since then, McDonald's has changed their menu towards providing more finger foods, e.g., Fish McDippers, Chicken McNuggets, and Chicken McWings. Chicken McWings was the direct replacement for Chicken McCrispy, though the latter is still being sold in other locations such as Taiwan.
South Korea
McDonald's South Korea offers the Bulgogi Burger (pork patty in bulgogi marinade). Also interesting is that due to a Korean law from 2005-2008 that mandated a W100 surcharge for the use of paper cups at restaurants, most branches that were open during this time used reusable plastic cups for dine-in customers. After this law was repealed some branches have reverted back to using disposable paper cups but still use the plastic cups during the lunchtime rush. The Big Bulgogi Burger, double-patty burger with bulgogi sauce, has been introduced. An Affogato is available for dessert. A 'Bacon Tomato Deluxe' is a Big Mac with bacon, tomato, mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce, which replaces the Big Mac sauce. Since September 2010, the Shrimp Burger has been discontinued, and Chicken Nuggets have been introduced in its place. In November 2010, a Quarter Pounder has been introduced. Discontinued dessert items are the McBingsoo (Patbingsu, a Korean dessert that consiting of ice cream or frozen yogurt, topped with various fruits) and the Green Tea McFlurry.
Thailand
McDonald's serves the Samurai Pork Burger, flavored with teriyaki sauce and topped with lettuce and mayonnaise. The Mega Mac is available - renamed as a Double Big Mac - as a replacement for the Quarter Pounder, which is no longer available. A Double Filet-o-Fish is a permanent addition to the Thai menu, which contains two fish patties and two slices of cheese. In common with other Asian markets, McDonald's in Thailand sells fried chicken and spicy chicken wings. There are three flavors of pie available: pineapple, corn and a special limited period option (often savory, such as Italian chicken).
Chili sauce is available along with ketchup. Other Thailand-specific items that have been sold include rice patties made with jasmine rice, the Caribbean Shrimp Burger (known as the Ebi-Filet in Japan), and a salad shaker based on som tam papaya salad.
Taiwan
McDonald's has introduced kao fan (literally "baked rice"), a burger-like entrée with rice patties in place of buns. It is modelled on the eponymous product of McDonald's Japanese rival, MOS Burger. Taiwan has a corn soup that can be ordered as a substitute for the fries, or as its own standalone entrée. McDonald's also feature fried chicken legs to rival KFC franchises in Taiwan.
Europe
Belgium
The "Croque McDo" consists of two we slices of Emmental cheese and a slice of ham toasted between two hamburger buns. This is the McDonald's approach to the more traditional Croque-monsieur snack found in France and Belgium or the McTosti in The Netherlands (only offered during breakfast).
The Quarter Pounder with cheese is labeled 'Royal Cheese', while the 'Royal Deluxe' has lettuce, tomato and pepper sauce.
The 'New York Crispy' replaced the 'Royal Crispy Bacon', and is a larger burger with lettuce, tomato, bacon, tomato sauce, mayonaise and spicy cheese.
Croatia
The McCountry sandwich is a regular menu item in Croatian McDonalds restaurants, which consits of two pork sausage patties on a plain bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and a special sauce (which tastes like it includes mayonnaise and spices, and includes what seems to be fried sesame seeds).
Another regular menu item is the McToast, a ham and cheese toast.
The Quarter Pounder with cheese is labeled 'Royal Cheese'.
The local mineral water from Jamnica is standard.
Cyprus
In addition to the traditional offering of a Big Mac, McDonald's Cyprus sells the Greek Mac, which includes all the ingredients of a Big Mac, although a piece of pita bread is used in place of the middle and outer buns. Also available is the Greek Chicken, which is the same as the Greek Mac except that it replaces beef patties with chicken patties.
The McChicken is sold with a seeded bun as opposed to a plain bun.
Carlsberg beer is sold at all outlets.
Czech Republic
The McCountry is regular menu item in the Czech Republic.
Finland
In Finland, most of the hamburgers on the menu can also be ordered with a rye bun in place of the regular bun. The origin of this idea was the promotional product "McRuis" (McRye).
The McFeast burger is also a part of the set menu in Finland, although it differs from the original burger. The original McFeast consists of a quarter pound patty, a slice of ham, lettuce, onion, tomato and mayonnaise. The Finnish variant contains no ham and is essentially identical to the Quarter Pounder except for the fact that it contains a slice of tomato and mayonnaise.
The Big Bacon (bacon variation of Big'n'Tasty) was introduced in 2008 as speciality but was taken into part of standard menu shortly after that.
El Maco is a burger with salsa and sour cream sauce. The El Maco meal comes with a barbecue spice mixture and a paper bag in which the fries and the spice mixture are poured.
France
In France, McDonald's offers Kronenbourg 1664 in 25 or 33 cl measures. The "Croque McDo" is also offered, and every two to three months, a new Petit Plaisir is introduced. Donuts are also available for breakfast.
Germany
The Big Tasty and Big Tasty Bacon are now regular menu items.
Hamburger Royal Bacon introduced to augment the Hamburger Royal/Hamburger Royal TS.
Chicken Wraps topped with chicken, lettuce, tomato, Caesar dressing and cheese as well as its own sauce (Original, Ranch, Honey Mustard or Caesar).
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and Crispy Chicken Salad
The Veggieburger is a regular menu item since February 2010.
Permanent breakfast menu (test-marketed in 2006, systemwide reorganization in 2008):
McCroissant
Sweet Croissant: Served with Nutella or several kinds of jam.
McMuffin avaliable in Sausage & Egg, Bacon & Egg or Chicken.
Breakfast Wrap: A tortilla with scrambled eggs, two small pork patties, salad, tomato and special sauce.
McToast Cheese, McToast Ham & Cheese, or McToast Bacon & Cheese
Country McGriddle
Sweet McGriddles: Two McGriddle hotcakes served with extra honey
Side orders: scrambled eggs, Kellogg's Special K, fruit, yogurt or a combined fruit and yogurt option.
In an effort to provide a nutritional balance the breakfast meals are served with small fries or a Garden Salad as well as a small soft drink or a small orange juice (Minute Maid Premium OJ, not sold through German retail channels).
McDonald's in Nuremberg now sells the Nuremburger, a wheat bun with three small sausages in it.
Greece
In Greece, McDonald's sells the McFarm burger, which consists of two all beef patties, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayonnaise on a sesame seed bun. Also served there is the McToast, as in Cyprus, Spring Rolls, which are spicy rolls with vegetables and sweet and sour sauce. Also popular is the Shrimp Burger, which consists of twelve whole grilled prawns, crisp iceberg lettuce and secret sauce on a bun, the McVeggie burger, which consists of a fried chicken patty, tomatoes, lettuce, and ketchup on a sesame seed bun and the Black Tiger shrimps, which are crispy breaded shrimps served with sweet and sour sauce.
Hungary
A popular item in Hungarian McDonald's is the McFarm. In Hungary, hash browns are called "McBuri".
Limited edition products available only in Hungary have included McDonald's version of the popular Hungarian breakfast food, lángos.
The Netherlands
McDonald's sells the McKroket, a deep-fried roll containing beef ragout, similar (except for the shape) to the Dutch croquette (also spelled as kroket, hence the name) sold in snack bars. You can get "American Sauce" usually served with french fries. It is a yellow mayonnaise-like sauce with bits of what seems to be dill pickles. The ChickenSaté burger is also offered, consisting of a fried chicken piece covered with peanut sauce, a popular food in the Netherlands due to the country's connection to Indonesia.
Norway
The McFeast is also a part of the set menu, although it differs from the original burger. It contains no ham and is essentially identical to the Quarter Pounder except for the fact that it contains lettuce, a slice of tomato and mayonnaise.
Big Mac, Big Tasty, McChicken, etc. are also part of the standard menu.
Some burgers, like the El Maco, are seasonal. In Norway, cheeseburgers contain pickles.
Poland
McKiełbasa (lit. McSausage) - A sandwich containing a thick slice of kiełbasa instead of a burger. It was a commercial failure quickly pulled off the menu.
WieśMac (lit. CountryMac) - A highly popular seasonal product that became part of the regular menu. This sandwich used to consist of two 46g beef patties, now consists of one quarter-pound patty, with fresh onions, lettuce, one slice of cheddar cheese and two shots of mustard and horseradish sauce on a sesame-seed bun.
Pikantny Kurczakburger (lit. Spicy Chickenburger) - Part of the Polish equivalent of a dollar menu, a chicken sandwich with lettuce and hot Mexican sauce on a regular burger bun. Quickly became a highly popular menu item.
McRoyal and Double McRoyal - Known worldwide under various names, this basic variant of the Quarter Pounder sandwich has been on and off the menu. Since November 2007 both regular and double Royals were again part of the regular menu. Since August 27, 2008, the Double McRoyal has been discontinued.
Big Tasty Bacon - A variation of the Big 'N' Tasty sandwich with a strip of bacon. Discontinued.
Tortilla - Part of the regular menu, a chicken tortilla with two shots of both mayonnaise and mild Mexican sauce with lettuce and a slice of tomato. There was also a seasonal version with curry sauce, otherwise the same.
Kanapka Zbójnicka (lit. Ruffian Sandwich, a variation of Big Rösti) - Seasonal product last available in winter 2008. Consisted of one quarter-pound beef patty, a Big Rösti hash brown potato patty, Ementaler cheese, a strip of bacon and Big Rösti sauce. Served on an onion bun.
Kanapka Góralska (lit. Mountaineer Sandwich, otherwise known as Big Cheese) - Seasonal product last available in winter 2008. Consisted of cheddar and Ementaler cheese, one quarter-pound beef patty and fondue sauce on a square ciabatta bun.
Kurczak Po Grecku (lit. Greek Chicken Sandwich) - A chicken patty with breadcrumbs, lettuce, tomatoes, green bell peppers, and ranch dressing. It was a commercial failure quickly pulled off the menu.
In March 2009, a "Pick your own Tortilla" campaign was launched. One could choose from a "mild" (aside from chicken and lettuce containing fresh cucumbers, olives a mild herb sauce) or a "hot" (aside from chicken and lettuce containing tomatoes, cheddar cheese and classic spicy sauce) selection of ingredients and then have it wrapped in either plain or tomato tortilla.
Romania
McPuisor is a type of McChicken, and it's served in the Happy Meals.
Slovenia
El Mexico and Greek Salad are offered in a special menu. The McCountry is on the regular menu.
Sweden
The McFeast is on the regular menu. The El Maco and the El Maco Grande is a burger with salsa and a side of french fries with "taco" flavor. Items on the night menus like the "double quarter pounder" are available in the bigger cities, during weekend nights. There is also a vegetarian burger called McBean on the menu.
Turkey
McDonald's offers the Turkish drink ayran and McTurco, a type of Turkish Kebab with either chicken or lamb.
A new kind of square hamburger that fits to Turkish taste is MaxBurger.
McDonald's in Turkey also serves a Kofteburger, with a spiced mincemeat patty.
McDonald's in Turkey serves onion rings, as well.
Additionally, Turkey features a sour cherry pie, which is similar to the Apple Pie. Sour cherry is a popular flavor in Turkey and the pie predates the U.S. cherry pie.
According to the Turkish McDonalds website, the meat used in the McDonalds branches in Turkey is 100% halal (does not contain pork meat), and has been supplied to them for 25 years by Pinar, a Turkish company.
United Kingdom and Ireland
"McDonald's Cola" was served instead of Coca-Cola until the early 1990s. Root beer was also available at UK McDonald's until the early 1990s when it was replaced with Diet Coke. Irn-Bru is additionally available in restaurants in Scotland. British McDonald's serve “Oatso Simple”, a porridge made by Quaker Oats introduced to the UK in 2005, before 10.30am. They also use Heinz Tomato Sauce branded products and they have a curry flavoured sauce for their McNuggets. Recent promotional items include(d)
Apple Pie Sundae (caramel sauce drizzled over soft serve ice cream served with a miniature sized hot apple pie placed into the top)
Mozzarella Dippers
Big BBQ
BBQ Chicken Premiere with Bacon
"Great Taste Of America" burgers, oval 1/3 pound beef burgers based on four American locales (New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Texas (2006) New York, Chicago, Arizona, and Miami (2007 onwards)) lasting 1 week each.
Big Cheese and Bacon
Cheese Melt Dippers
Mincemeat and custard pie
The CBO (renamed as the BCO for 2011)
The Summer Chorizo Supreme
The Big Tasty (with bacon)
The McChicken Premiere Sandwich was permanently removed from the menu, and replaced by the Chicken Legend - a chicken breast coated in seasoned batter with either spicy tomato salsa or cool mayonnaise.
In 2006 there was a promotional, limited edition World Cup themed Big Mac introduced, know as the 'Bigger Big Mac', a Big Mac but 40% 'bigger'.
January 2008 saw the introduction of the limited edition Hot and Spicy Quarter Pounder, along with the return of potato wedges and board game Happy Meals e.g. Guess Who, Twister and Operation February 2008 saw the introduction of the Bacon Roll on the breakfast menu.
June 2011 saw the introduction of Deli Choices, expanding the deli sandwich selection to include wraps.
North America
Canada
Two versions of pizza have been rolled out on a regional basis: A full family sized pizza, and a personal pizza, which eventually replaced it when the original version did not sell strongly enough. These were eventually discontinued as the market was highly competitive and tiny profit margins did not allow either product to be very profitable. There was also a small, Calzone-style McPizza for some time, which resembled an apple pie.
In the province of Quebec, french fries from a combo may be substituted by McDonald's version of poutine, which consists of fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. In 2008, poutine was added to the national menu under the name My Poutine, although it had been available in Quebec for over a decade. Also in Quebec is the 'Traditional Breakfast' consisting of 2 eggs cooked over-easy and 2 strips of bacon, side-by-each; and a choice of white or whole wheat toast.
In Fall of 2008, the Angus Burger was introduced.
The Mac Snack Wrap was introduced in spring of 2009.
By 2009, Coca-Cola Zero was added to the main beverage menu to replace the McDonald's-branded orange drink. At the same time, most McDonald's fountains replaced the older Coca-Cola product logos with newer ones. Some Canadian McDonald's restaurants would have bottled soft drinks such as Fresca.
The Double LT (McDouble), containing 2 pieces of beef, lettuce, tomato, secret sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickle and onions, was introduced in July 2010. It replaces the $1 Cheeseburger.
A McMini was introduced in to the menu, two kinds of miniature sandwiches with either grilled or crispy chicken, the two flavors are Pesto Chicken, a light pesto sauce and garlic mayo, or the Spicy Thai, a spicy Asian sauce with garlic mayo. The Zesty Mango McMini has also been added to the menu (September 2010), which basically includes the same garlic mayo as the other two varieties, but also features a sweet and sour mango sauce.
United States
Shellfish - McDonald's offers various types of shellfish dishes on a regional basis. In the New England region of the US, McDonald's offers lobster rolls on a seasonal basis, and in the Mid-Atlantic states region crab cakes are offered.
Touchdown Burger - sold in Wisconsin and seasonally in southeastern Michigan.
Johnsonville Brats - A toasted hot dog bun with a Johnsonville Bratwurst, topped with spicy mustard and onions. Available seasonally and in a 2 Brat Extra Value Meal. Sold in Minnesota, Wisconsin, southern Michigan, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Also briefly available in Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1990s to promote the Cleveland Indians.
Texas Homestyle Burger - a quarter pound (113.4 gram) beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and spicy mustard. Sold in Texas, although it was available as an LTO (limited time offer) item called the Southwest Homestyle Burger in New Mexico.
Cajun McChicken Sandwich - it is a variation of the McChicken sandwich with Cajun spices mixed into the breading on the chicken portion. LTO item sold in Southern United States.
Alaska franchises offer the Mckinley Mac, which is named after Mount McKinley and is basically 2 quarter pounders put together.
Hawaii franchises offer saimin on their regular menu. Spam or Portuguese sausage with eggs and white rice is offered as a breakfast item. A Spam McGriddle sandwich has also been offered as an LTO item. Pineapple and taro pies have also been occasionally offered on the regular menu, and pineapple is also sometimes available as an additional topping on burgers. Haupia pie was recently introduced in Hawaii locations as an LTO. In Waikiki locations, small trays of pineapple can be ordered as a side-dish. With the exception of saimin, the same items can also be found in the US territories of Guam and The CMNI.
Mexico
In Mexico, once per year McDonalds releases a set of special sandwiches and other products available for a limited time.
The Flaming Hot Doritos Quarter Pounder (2010), is a Quarter Pounder burger with a layer of Flaming Hot Doritos (from Frito-Lay) and a layer of guacamole.
MacTocino (2010), is a double cheeseburger with a layer of bacon
BBQ Double Burger (2010), a cheese burger with 2 pieces of beef and a layer of barbecue sauce.
Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, aside from the traditional products including fried chicken and seasonally Filet-O-Fish, there is also Mccafe.
The Yogurt has strawberries and peaches.
The McNifica burger is available. It is similar to a BK Whopper.
Gallo pinto (a traditional seasoned rice and black bean dish) is served with scrambled eggs and "natilla" (light sour cream).
Fry sauce is available for dipping French fries.
Steak fries are available as an alternative to French fries.
Special Coffee is available thought the Mccafe.
McFlurry is available also in 'guayabita' (popular local guava chocolate) and 'tapita' (popular local chocolate) versions.
Panama
The McNifica, a salted beef patty served with cheese, lettuce, and tomato (which was added to compete directly with Burger King's Whopper), is sold in Panama as well as several other countries throughout Latin America (including Argentina and Costa Rica).
Oceania
Australia
The Australian menu remained relatively unchanged until 2003, when the Salads Plus menu was launched. The new menu saw the introduction of healthier options, all with less than 10 grams of fat. Products included a chicken salad and garden salad, a chicken flatbread sandwich, a veggie burger, a low-fat yoghurt parfait, low-fat muffins, apples and bottled water. Salads Plus has since been rebranded to Lighter Choices.
Deli Choices
In 2004, a range of deli style rolls were introduced. Branded as Deli Choices, it was the biggest project McDonald's Australia had undertaken since the launch of the breakfast menu in the late 1980s. Each restaurant had to be retro-fitted to accommodate new refrigeration and cooking equipment. Deli Choices initially launched with six varieties, including Chicken Caesar, Chicken Tandoori, Italian, Turkey & Cranberry, Veggie Delight and Bacon & Egg. The Italian and Veggie Delight varieties were discontinued in 2007. At the same time, wholemeal rolls were optional. In 2008, a seared (grilled) chicken patty was offered as an alternative to the crispy chicken patty in the Chicken Caesar roll.
Crispy Chicken
The Australian menu had another significant change in 2007, with the introduction of five new chicken products. Three chicken burger varieties, a mini chicken wrap and new chicken strip 'dippers' were launched. The burgers contain a deep-fried crispy chicken patty - the same patty previously used in the Chicken Caesar roll from the Deli Choices menu. In 2008, the seared chicken patty option became available on these burgers.
Heart Foundation Tick Menu
The Tick Menu was launched in 2007. This menu showcases existing burgers, rolls, and salads approved by the National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Current unique products
Below is a list of products that are unique to the Australian market. These products are currently available and compliment the traditional menu.
Mighty Angus - An Angus beef patty with bacon, red onion, cheese, onion relish, mayonnaise and served on a sourdough bun. Based on the Angus Bacon & Cheese burger from North America.
Grand Angus - An Angus beef patty with premium lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheese, mustard, mayonnaise and served on a sourdough bun. Based on the Angus Deluxe burger from North America.
Nudie Fruit Juices - Bottles of 100% fruit juice available in mango, strawberry flavors.
Iced Coffee - Iced coffee flavored milk served with ice.
Iced Coffee Shake - Available in the Western Australian market.
Flavour Burst Cone - Soft-serve ice-cream with a blend of chocolate, grape, strawberry, raspberry, apple or mocha flavouring. Only available at "Dessert's to Go" stores in Queensland
Mighty McMuffin - An English muffin with ketchup, cheese, two pieces of bacon, sausage pattie and an egg. Available for a LTO in a meal as well as sold separately.
Rosti Breakfast Wrap - A rosti patty with BBQ sauce, half a slice of regular cheese, one rasher of bacon, one egg served in a 10 inch wrap.
Bakehouse Roll - A rosti patty with onion relish, cheese, two rashers of bacon, one sausage patty,and an egg all served on a wheatgerm bun.
Caramel Cookie McFlurry.
Strawberry Crumble McFlurry
Double Chocolate Fudge McFlurry
Bubblegum Bliss McFlurry
Past unique products
McOz - A quarter pound beef patty with lettuce, tomato, beetroot, cheese, mustard, ketchup, cooked onion and served on a sesame seed bun. Due to popularity, the McOz replaced the McFeast Deluxe from 1999 to 2007.
Double Beef & Cheese Burger/McDouble - Two beef patties with cheese, onion, mustard, ketchup and served on a cheeseburger bun. Replaced by the Deluxe Cheeseburger in April, 2009.
Angus the Third - An Angus beef patty with premium lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayonnaise and tomato chilli relish served on a sourdough bun. Available for a limited time only.
BLT - A rasher of bacon with lettuce, onion, McChicken sauce and tomato served on a cheeseburger bun.
Bacon BBQ Cheeseburger- A beef patty, bacon, cheese, onion, BBQ sauce and served on a cheeseburger bun.
Burgerino - Two beef patties with cheese, onion, bacon, mustard, ketchup and served on a cheeseburger bun. Although the burger has been deleted from menu boards, customers can still order the burger in a standard meal.
McBeefsteak - A long beef patty with cooked onion, barbecue sauce and served on a long sesame seed bun. This burger was promoted by country music singer Lee Kernaghan.
Chili Quarter Pounder - A Quarter Pounder with Cheese, with chili sauce instead of mustard and ketchup.
Five Star Beef Burger - A long beef patty with Tatsoi lettuce, Coon cheese, cooked capsicum and onion, special gourmet sauce and served on a long wheat bun.
Lean Beef Burger - A lean beef patty with Tatsoi lettuce, tomato, onion, low-fat cheese, ketchup and served on a wheat bun.
Bacon Cheese Burger - A beef patty with cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce and served on a cheeseburger bun. (still available on the value picks menu as of may, 2009)
Deluxe Cheeseburger - A beef patty with lettuce, cheese, onion, McChicken sauce and served on a cheeseburger bun.
El Maco - A quarter pound beef patty with lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream, mild taco sauce and served on a sesame seed bun.
Fried Chicken - In the 1970s, fried chicken was offered in a selected number of Australian McDonald's stores. It was discontinued in the early 1980s.
Roast Chicken - In 2001, a roast chicken menu was trialled in the Western Australian market. Quarter and half portions of chicken were served with fries, or in a McValue Meal. A family meal option was available, as well as whole hot or cold chickens. The menu was discontinued in 2002.
Pasta Zoo Happy Meal - Animal shaped pasta pieces filled with cheese and vegetables, served with an Italian pasta sauce known as zoo goo and a choice of french fries or apple slices. It has since been discontinued.
Rainbow Happy Meal - A standard Happy Meal with the choice of a chocolate, strawberry or vanilla shake mixed with rainbow coloured sprinkles. Discontinued in the early nineties.
Toasted Sandwiches - Several varieties have been used in the past, including Cheese & Tomato; Ham, Cheese & Tomato and Ham, Cheese & Pineapple. Now served in McCafe.
Shaker Fries - French fries served with a sachet of seasoning. Flavours included barbecue, chicken or 'Spicy El Maco.'They Made a Brief return in 2011, but with only the Original Seasoning.
Chive Omelette Roll - An egg omelette filled with herbs and chives, served with bacon, tomato and barbecue sauce on a toasted wholegrain roll.
Massive McMuffin - Two sausage patties, egg, bacon, cheese and ketchup on an English muffin.
McDelicious - A flat mud chocolate muffin with soft-serve and hot fudge topping
McPavlova - A flat pavlova base with soft-serve and passionfruit topping
McFlurry - Past McFlurry flavours include Nestle Milo, Nestle Drumstick, M&Ms, Wonka Nerds and Berry Blast. As of 2011, M&Ms have been phased out for the release of 4 new Flavours (See Current Products). the Oreo McFlurry is still on offer.
Waffle Cone - A seasonal dessert available with chocolate, caramel or strawberry topping. Past flavours have included Arnott's Mint Slice, wildberry, passionfruit, and choc mint
Cadbury Twirl - A small Cadbury Twirl bar that could be added to any soft-serve dessert—replaced the Cadbury Flake between 2008 and 2009
Nameit/Backyard Burger - A burger made with 'real' ingredients introduced temporarily in 2007.
Colossus Burger - A triple cheeseburger with bacon. It was part of a cross promotion to the Disney film, Hercules in 1997.
McDonald's Australia celebrated the Beijing Olympics with a range of promotional items, based on cuisines from all around the world.;
Gold Medal Pudding - Warm chocolate pudding served with soft-serve ice-cream.
McEurope - A crispy chicken patty served with lettuce, Parmesan cheese and Napoletana sauce served on a wheat bun.
McAmerica - A breakfast bagel with bacon, egg, cheese and spicy tomato sauce.
McAfrica - Two all beef patties with lettuce, tomato, Coon cheese and Harissa sauce served on a wheat bun.
New Zealand
McDonald's menu items in New Zealand are similar to Australia's, but there are some differences. Items include:
Kiwiburger - A 4oz beef patty, McMuffin egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onion, beetroot, tomato ketchup and mustard on a Quarter Pounder bun. Introduced in 1991 and later discontinued due to complications in 2004. It has returned to the menu for a limited time in 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Deluxe Cheeseburger - A cheeseburger omitting pickles and mustard and adding lettuce and mayonnaise.
Chick'n McCheese - A 1.6oz crispy chicken patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato ketchup and mayonnaise on a cheeseburger bun. Formerly a limited-time menu item, it was reintroduced in May 2011 by popular demand.
The Boss - a Quarter Pounder omitting pickles and adding an extra 4oz patty, lettuce, tomato and McChicken sauce.
L&P is available as a soft drink option at many restaurants, along with Coca-Cola Zero.
Massive McMuffin - fried egg, bacon, cheese, two sausage patties and ketchup on toasted English muffins.
In April 2007 'Pasta Zoo' began being served as part of the Happy Meal menu. 'Pasta Zoo' comes in animal shaped pasta filled with a cheese, vegetable mixture. It comes with tong-like grippers used to dip the pasta into a tomato sauce. In 2007, McDonald's introduced the Down Under Deluxe - a home-style burger, named via a nation-wide public contest, and also launched the "Made to Order" menu, which consisted of all burgers cooked fresh upon ordering and encouraged customers to personalize their tastes.
On 17 August 2011, McDonald's introduced a Kiwi Menu ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which New Zealand is hosting. The items in the menu reflect classic New Zealand food and drink, and include:-
Kiwiburger (see above)
Kiwi Pav - a mini pavlova topped with soft-serve ice cream and pineapple and lime sauce.
South America
Argentina
In Argentina, Instead of serving Chocolate ice cream, it offers Dulce de Leche flavoured ice creams.
McDonald's has Kosher branches only in Israel and Argentina.
The Kosher branches in Argentina are also the only places in the world (apart from Israel) where McDonald's burgers are barbecued on charcoal rather than fried.
Brazil
McDonald's offers Cheddar McMelt, a sandwich with a beef burger, creamy cheddar cheese and grilled onions flavored with soy sauce on a whole-wheat bun, which is the local favourite. The Big Tasty is a regular menu item. Also serves banana-flavored pie. There is also a variation of a Latin American beef burger, the McNifica, turned into
Chile
In Chile, customers can add avocado paste to any sandwich, other than the McPalta (Chilean Spanish for: McAvocado) whose basis is the avocado paste along with lomito or pork. Cheese empanadas are also sold at all McDonald's locations in Chile under the same category as fries.
Suriname
Peru
McDonald's offers ají (a spicy sauce made from peppers) for customers to dip their fries in or add to their hamburgers. Customers are also offered Inca Kola to drink, along with other Coca-Cola beverages.
Pollo Crujiente (crunchy chicken) was also added to the Peruvian McDonald's menu in 2010, featuring 100% peruvian sourced chicken.
Venezuela
In Venezuela, McDonalds also offers arepas, empanadas and burritos as a breakfast choice, because they are the preferred meal of most of the Venezuelan population. In the past Fried Yuca Sticks were also offered
