Ray Kroc proposed the idea of franchising McDonald's as a way to sell more of his multimixers 7 years before buying the McDonald's brothers out of the company for $2.7M.

Despite meeting as ambulance drivers in WWI, Ray Kroc and Walt Disney weren't the driving forces behind McDonald's and Disney's numerous business partnerships.

Unlike other franchises, the McDonald's Corporation owns the land and the buildings of individual stores, and franchise owners lease those assets—resulting in McDonald's often being called a real-estate company.

Watch a recreation of the 'Speedee Service System,' the assembly line production method pioneered by the McDonald's brothers that revolutionized fast food in the US.

Until late 2024, the company that makes McDonald's ice cream machines held an elusive repair monopoly on them, the culprit behind the frequent outages that fueled widespread social media discourse.

Between 1989 and 2001, a security guard dubbed 'Uncle Jerry' rigged the McDonald's Monopoly sweepstakes by handing out 60 winning pieces worth more than $24M.

The original McDonald's served barbecue

Barbecue was a popular roadside cuisine in the early days of the US highway system, and McDonald's, while it was still a small enterprise in San Bernardino, California, served it as a part of its fast food menu.

McDonald's was the first American fast food restaurant to open in the Soviet Union in 1990.

Before becoming a famous weatherman for the Today show, Willard Scott created 'Ronald McDonald' for a Washington DC location in 1963.

The history of the McDonald's Happy Meal

The McDonald's Happy Meal is the quintessential fast food kids meal, serving up child-appropriate portions and prizes all within a portable, fun container. So where did this pop culture icon begin? Watch this quirky 13-minute history of the Happy...

See photos of McDonald's locations all across the world from the 'McAtlas.'

Jeff Bezos started his career working at McDonald’s

He now claims that his high school gig at the fast food restaurant taught him about efficiency, customer service, and other valuable lessons that he took with him when building Amazon.

McDonald’s 1990 opening in Moscow symbolized the USSR’s fading isolation

When McDonald’s arrived in Moscow in 1990—an icon of Western capitalism—it became a cultural shock. NPR’s Invisibilia recounts how the chain asked new Russian employees to greet customers with American-style smiles, exploring the clash between Soviet norms and Western service culture (segment starts around 42 minutes in).

Apple's first backer recruited his own CEO to help manage the company

Wanting Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to focus on developing Apple computers, Mike Markkula brought in his colleague from Fairchild Semiconductor, Michael Scott. As employee number five, Scott helped professionalize the fledgling computer company and getting manufacturing off the ground. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Nike made retailers pay for Air Jordans upfront to guarantee stock

Instead of paying for the inventory sold, Knight locked retailers into iron-clad agreements, where the companies would pay upfront for Nike inventory (but at a 7% discount). Knight did this to leverage debt, allowing retailers a better chance at getting the wildly popular Air Jordans.

McDonald's intentionally avoids using the word 'milkshake'

The restaurant's US menus use an abbreviated term: the simple "shake." Conspiracy theorists suggest this means the chain doesn't use actual milk, but the truth is a bit more complicated and—much to their displeasure—mostly related to dairy regulations.

Apple’s third cofounder was its angel investor

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are well-known for cofounding Apple, but the company had a third founder who acted as an angel investor: Mike Markkula, who invested $250K in 1977.

Fast-food prices have increased more over the past 10 years than both full-service restaurants and inflation

Apparently, according to experts on the subject, rising labor costs are to blame. Fast-food giants like McDonald's are now seeing the consequences in their underwhelming earnings reports.

The business plan for Blue Ribbon Sports came from a Stanford assignment

Nike cofounder Phil Knight’s original idea was to begin selling Japanese shoes, which were cheaper and just as light and durable as the leading German shoes from Adidas and Puma, at a lower price in the American market. His last assignment in business school at Stanford became the original business plan for Blue Ribbon Sports.

Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper—and a territory-based sales force

In the 1830s, farmers were skeptical of new technology, so McCormick demonstrated the machine—described as a cross between a plow, a chariot, and a flying object—to prospective buyers. Long before modern sales norms existed, he divided the market into territories operated by agents who provided service on the machines, financing to expand the customer base, and product iteration based on feedback from regional agents.

Before being sued over a customer's third-degree burns, McDonald's required all coffee to be served between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

The dominant popularity of McDonald's french fries

McDonald's french fries are, by far, the most popular french fries available at fast food restaurants around the world. Since their beginnings, their consistent and unique flavor, crispiness, and shape formed a new staple side at restaurants. Despite undergoing drastic shifts in how they are made due to health and business factors, the fry has remained dominant in the fast food culinary world. Find out more about its history in this video.

Meet the man whose 100-patty In-N-Out order permanently changed their menu

In 2004, Will Young and a group of friends, including Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, talked an In-N-Out in Las Vegas into making a 100-patty burger. The stunt prompted the chain to cap orders at 4 patties, a policy that remains in place today.

'Buy one, get one free' is a clever way to get you to spend more money

One Burger King diner recently saw the price of her $2.16 sandwich rise to $3.19 per sandwich when she used a buy-one-get-one-free (or BOGO) coupon. Naturally, she became suspicious about how good a deal BOGO really is. This video explains why BOGO deals are a way for companies to get you to spend more money, rather than less.

'Buy one, get one free' is often a clever way to get you to spend more money

One Burger King diner recently saw the price of her $2.16 sandwich rise to $3.19 per sandwich when she used a buy-one-get-one-free (or BOGO) coupon. Naturally, she became suspicious about how good a deal BOGO really is. This video explains why BOGO deals are a way for companies to get you to spend more money, rather than less.

McDonald's releases a new adult Happy Meal

Some McDonald's restaurants in Ohio began a nostalgic campaign in late 2023, reviving chicken nugget-style doll toys famous in adult-themed Happy Meals over a quarter-century before. The company collaborated with artist Kerwin Frost to create the toys. Read more and see photos here.

Walt Disney's 1957 corporate strategy document

From TV to music to amusement parks, Disney is widely regarded as one of the most successful American companies of all time. That's partly because Walt Disney was carefully building a corporate strategy from day one that accounted for the company's publications, merchandise licensing, comic strips, and more. See his 1957 corporate strategy document for yourself (spoiler alert, it's covered in Mickey Mouse illustrations).

The history and success of the mysterious Mars Inc.

Mars, Incorporated manufactures some of the world’s favorite treats, including M&M’s, Snickers, and Milky Way bars. Despite their success, you’ve probably not heard of them. The privately held company is largely unknown to the world despite being owned by the second-richest family in the US. This podcast discusses the mysterious Mars family and their remarkable entrepreneurial feat. Listen to uncover more.

The legend of Pittsburgh’s fake Burger King

Years ago, a Burger King in Pittsburgh lost its franchise due to repeated customer complaints about food quality. However, the franchise-holders continued to operate the restaurant, switching to generic packaging but keeping the signage and uniforms. Customers eventually caught on and raised suspicions, leading to Burger King's corporate leaders' involvement. Learn more about the bizarre establishment and how it managed to continue operations for months.

Disney funded his first theme park by agreeing to host a weekly show on ABC

Walt Disney was determined to open a theme park, but had numerous issues with funding. A break came when ABC offered to cover a signifcant portion of the construction, though it came with a catch: Walt would host a weekly Disneyland TV show (and provide them part-ownership of the park).

Why Coke tastes different at McDonald's

Fans of the sugary soda Coca-Cola have noticed significant differences between its canned variety versus what pours forth from the fountain at McDonald's. Is there anything to the claim? Weird History Food takes a dive into this essential fast-food...

Nike's Phil Knight ran for Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon before they became business partners

They became business partners when Knight tried to sell the Onitsuka Tigers to Bowerman for the Oregon track team. Bowerman told Knight he didn't just want the shoes; he wanted in on the whole deal.

White Castle helped propel fast food as a restaurant model

Diners looking for quick meals had plenty of options with food stands and automats, but White Castle pioneered the concept of the fast food restaurant with its first location in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. The owners emphasized White Castle as more than a fast and cheap way to eat; it was a place to sit and enjoy a meal, with stainless steel interiors and open kitchens.

Vince McMahon turned wrestling into a consolidated, national enterprise

In 1982, Vince McMahon purchased the World Wrestling Federation, which would later be renamed World Wrestling Entertainment, and quickly wiped out the WWE’s smaller regional promotions. By the late 1990s, he minted superstars like Chyna, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

One of Nike’s most transformational executives started out as its lawyer

Rob Strasser helped settle a lawsuit against Onitsuka Tiger when Blue Ribbon Sports became Nike and stopped distributing the Japanese shoes. Strasser then became a powerhouse at Nike credited with saving the company from going under in the 1970s, before leaving the company in 1987.

Chipotle was initially started to fund another restaurant

Founder Steve Ells was a chef at Stars, a tony restaurant in San Francisco. His original plan for Chipotle—which first opened in 1993 in Denver, Colorado—was to make enough money to open a separate, higher-end restaurant.

In 2014, there were more payday loan stores than McDonalds

That year, there were more than 20,000 payday lenders in the US, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, and 14,267 McDonald's locations. Politicians and consumer advocates frequently cited this statistic as a selling point for increased regulation.

Malaysia is home to a massive McDonald's museum

Top Fast-Food Toy Collections Museum in the city of Alor Setar houses over 80,000 McDonald's items, including Happy Meal toys, employee uniforms, and ketchup packets.