McDonald's

McDonald's is an American multinational fast-food corporation and one of the largest and most recognizable restaurant chains in the world. The company began in the 1940s as a single hamburger stand in California, founded by the McDonald brothers, who developed an efficient, assembly-line system for producing food quickly and cheaply. The business was transformed into a global enterprise after businessman Ray Kroc joined as a franchise agent and eventually bought the company, aggressively expanding it through franchising into an international empire with tens of thousands of locations spanning much of the globe. Famous for its Golden Arches logo, its signature hamburgers, fries and other fast-food staples, and beloved menu items and characters, McDonald's became a defining symbol of fast food and, more broadly, of American consumer culture and globalization. Beyond its food sales, a significant portion of the company's business derives from real estate, as it owns much of the land and buildings that it leases to its franchisees. As one of the world's largest private employers and a ubiquitous presence in countless countries, McDonald's wields enormous influence over the fast-food industry and global eating habits, while also serving as a frequent focal point in debates over nutrition, labor and globalization. With its immense scale, iconic branding and worldwide reach, McDonald's stands as one of the most successful and influential restaurant companies in history and an enduring emblem of the modern fast-food era. [edit]