How many McDonald’s are there in the whole world? I’ve been wondering this for a while, but I don’t know of any way of doing this. I know there’s one every mile along the road I live on, so there’s a LOT of McDonald’s. Anyone a McD’s manager or anything, and has access to the actual number?
About 2 minutes of searching at http://www.mcdonalds.com revealed this link:
According the press release, the 25,000th McDonalds opened in October, 1999. I’d guess just a few hundred at most (probably 100 or so) have opened in the last year.
I saw somewhere else on the website that there are McDonalds in 119 countries.
Arjuna34
Actually, more than 1,000 in the past year.
McDonald’s is the largest and best-known global foodservice retailer with more than 26,000 restaurants in 119 countries.
Well, I was only off by one order of magnitude 
Arjuna34
I liked your answer better anyway, Arjuna. The thought that these guys are opening three sites a day is depressing.
Oh, and ISBop, I forgot. Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board.
::groan::
Simple answer-- too many.
There is a boarded-up McDonalds in Greenville, Maine. (I smile every time I see it, as it stands as a testement that civilization has not yet fully beaten into submission the world of mom-and-pop stores and good cheap food.)
I had heard that this was the only McDonalds ever to go out of business. Does anyone know if this is true.
Nope. I know of 2 shut-down McDonalds just in my city of Raleigh, NC. One was inside a strip mall on an out-of-the-way road where nothing did very well. The other was on a 4-lane divided road right behind a thick stand of trees, so you couldn’t see it and stop until you were past it. Both of these have shut down just in the past year.
One closed in Beverly, MA, too. It was bought out by the state so they could build a bridge that started in it’s parking lot though, so I doubt that it counts. It has since been replaced by another 1 mile away. The one 1 mile away from the new one is still going strong.
Ooh, forgot. The one inside the Wal*Mart in Troy, NY closed, as well.
If I recall correctly, McDonalds is only second among fast food places if you just look at the U.S. Subway has more U.S. outlets than McDonalds.
Subway’s website says they have 14,605 outlets in 75 countries, so it has a way to go catch McDonalds.
That’s funny. The one inside the Wal*Mart in Fridley, MN closed fairly recently, too. It’s not too surprising, though, since a full-size McDonald’s (with Playland and everything) is only a few blocks away!
They’ve replaced it with a set-up more like Target or K-Mart…more of a “store brand” fast-food thing than a national fast-food chain like McDonald’s or Burger King.
So, are all the McDonald’ses in Wal*Marts closing, or just the ones that are too close to full-size McDonald’s restaurants?
And what, pray tell, is the proper plural form of “McDonald’s”, anyway?
BobT writes:
> Subway’s website says they have 14,605 outlets in 75 countries, so it has a way to go catch McDonalds.
No, re-read my post. I said that Subway has more U.S. outlets than McDonalds, not that it has more worldwide.
On the other hand, though, a Subway is a much simpler operation that a McDonalds. All you need for a Subway is a counter and one person to make the sandwiches; a McDonalds probably needs 5 or 6 employees to keep it going, plus a full kitchen (Subway uses only a microwave), etc etc etc.
Most of the Subways I’ve been to have had two people, but yeah, you’re right, you need at least twice that many to run a McDonalds.
[minor nitpick] Also, my impression was that each Subway bakes its own bread; if that’s true, then they use a lot more than just a microwave. [minor nitpick]
We had one close in Frederick, MD as well. It was only a small one, but in a horrible place. And you can run a McD’s with three people, one front line, one cook, one drive through. oh and if you get unlucky like me it can be run with one.
Just remembered-- One of the McDs here near a mall bit the dust recently, but 1) it was old and in poor condition, and 2) there was a new McSpawn growing in the mall itself. So I guess it doesn’t really count…
Holy crap! Are you serious?! That sucks, big time.
too many
Re: Subway bread, The baking operation is contained within a 30 x 27 x 80 (approx) wheeled plug in oven- that’s it. Very simple operationally, I could have one running in most anyplace with a faucet and a couple outlets in less than three or four hours.