A brief history of McDonald's
Fairplay
PHOTO: The first McDonald's was built in 1940 by the
McDonald brothers (Dick and Mac).
1954 * Ray Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by Mac
and Dick McDonald in San Bernardino, California.
1955 * Ray Kroc opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines,
Illinois (near Chicago), and the McDonald's Corporation was
created.
1957 * Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (<Q.S.C>. &
V.) became the company motto.
1959 * The 100th McDonald's opened in Chicago.
PHOTO: The McDonald brothers (Dick right and Mac center)
discussing plans with an executive.
1961 * Ray Kroc bought all rights to the McDonald's concept
from the McDonald's brothers for $2.7 million. * Hamburger
University opened in Elk Grove, near Chicago.
1963 * One billion hamburgers sold. * The 500th restaurant
opened. * The 500th student graduates from Hamburger
University. * Ronald McDonald made his debut. * McDonald's
net income exceeded $1 million.
1964 * Filet-o-Fish sandwich introduced.
1965 * McDonald's Corporation went public. Per earning ratio
varies from 10 to 22 during year; stock price range, 15 -
33.5.
1966 * McDonald's listed on the New York stock exchange on
the 7th May.
1967 * The first restaurants outside of the USA opened in
Canada and Puerto Rico.
1968 * The Big Mac was introduced. * The 1,000th restaurant
opened in Des Plaines, Illinois.
1970 * McDonald's restaurant in every US state. * Ray Cesca
(Director of Global Purchasing of the McDonald's
Corporation) has admitted that when McDonald's opened stores
in Costa Rica in 1970, they were using beef from cattle
raised on ex-rainforest land, deforested in the 1950's and
1960's. * New countries - Virgin Islands, Costa Rica.
PHOTO: The first Japanese McDonald's in Tokyo.
1971 * The Egg McMuffin sandwich was test marketed in the US
as McDonald's first breakfast menu item. * McDonald's
Japanese President, Den Fujita, stated "the reason Japanese
people are so short and have yellow skins is because they
have eaten nothing but fish and rice for two thousand
years"; "if we eat McDonald's hamburgers and potatoes for a
thousand years we will become taller, our skin become white
and our hair blonde". * New countries - Japan, Holland,
Australia, Germany, Panama, Guam.
1972 * Assets exceeded $500 million and sales surpassed $1
billion. * A new McDonald's restaurant opening every day. *
New countries - France, El Salvador. * The 2,000th
restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois. * The Quarter
Pounder was introduced. * Ray Kroc made a $250,000 donation
to the controversial 1972 presidential campaign of Richard
Nixon, a donation which was perhaps a subject of
investigation during the Watergate corruption scandal.
Passages in the 'Behind The Arches' book (written with
McDonald's backing and assistance) state that the donation
came around the very time that McDonald's franchisees were
lobbying to prevent an increase in the minimum wage, and to
get legislation (dubbed 'The McDonald's Bill') passed to be
able to pay a sub- minimum wage to some young workers.
1973 * McDonald's Golden Arches Restaurants Limited founded
in UK as a joint venture partnership between the McDonald's
Corporation and two businessmen; one British, one American.
* New country - Sweden. * Egg McMuffin introduced.
1974 * The 3,000th McDonald's restaurant was opened in
Woolwich (south east London) in October, the first in the
UK. The company admitted that NOBODY went in and later
decided to target children with TV ads. * The UK Head Office
was sited in Hampstead, North London. * Up to 1974,
McDonald's employees in Puerto Rico were unionised, but the
company was sold to a new franchisee. A dispute followed,
closing all the stores and McDonald's pulled out of Puerto
Rico. They reopened in 1980 with non-union labour. * New
countries - England, Netherlands, Antilles, Guatemala. * The
first Ronald McDonald House opened in Philadelphia. * At a
San Francisco Labor Board hearing, McDonald's workers
testified that lie-detectors had been used to ask about
union sympathies, following which the company was threatened
with legal action.
PHOTO: McDonald's buildings have undergone dramatic changes
from the first one opened by Kroc in 1955 (top) which is now
preserved as a museum, to this ultra modern restaurant
opened in 1983 in New Orleans (bottom).
1975 * The company's first Drive-Thru opened in Sierra
Vista, Arizona. * New countries - Hong Kong, Bahamas,
Nicaragua. * Fred Turner becomes Chairman, Ray Kroc Senior
Chairman, and Ed Schmitt becomes President. * Broadcast
advertising appeared in UK cinemas.
1976 * McDonald's first UK TV advertisement was broadcast. *
4,000th store opened in Canada. * New countries -
Switzerland, New Zealand. * Largest restaurant opens - with
334 seats.
1977 * New countries - Ireland, Austria. * Breakfast menu
introduced, nationally in America.
1978 * The 5,000th restaurant opened in Kanagawa, Japan and
it made US $1 million in its first year. * Sundaes
introduced in USA. * In one store in Chicago (USA), a
majority of McDonald's workers joined a union. The company
then took legal action to stop recognition for the union
unless they could get a majority in the 8 stores run by the
franchisee. * New country - Belgium.
1979 * A 7 month strike in Dublin (Ireland) lead to
recognition of the ITGWU union. In 1985, two union activists
won a victory at a labour court after claiming victimisation
and unfair dismissal. * New countries - Brazil and
Singapore.
1980 * The 6,000th restaurant opened in Munich. * After
workers in a store in Detroit (USA) joined a union, the
company organised a visit by a top baseball star, staff
disco, and 'McBingo' prior to elections for union
representation. * First floating restaurant on a steamer in
Missouri. * 1,000th international restaurant opened.
1981 * New countries - Spain, Denmark and Malaysia.
1982 * Geoffrey Guiliano, a main Ronald McDonald actor, quit
and publicly apologised, stating "I brainwashed youngsters
into doing wrong. I want to say sorry to children everywhere
for selling out to concerns who make millions by murdering
animals". * 7,000th restaurant opened in Washington DC. *
McDonald's were responsible for food poisoning outbreak
caused by E. Coli bacteria, which affected 47 people in
Oregon and Michigan, USA. * Egon Ronay calls McDonald's
burgers 'uninspiring'. * Breakfast was introduced to the
British menu.
PHOTO: The $40 million 'Hamburger University'.
1983 * The McDonald's Corporation became sole owners of
McDonald's in the UK. The Company is named McDonald's
Hamburgers Limited. * Five consignments of Brazilian beef
are secretly imported for McDonald's UK stores. * The 100th
UK restaurant opened in Market Street, Manchester. * New
country - Norway. * Introduction of Chicken McNuggets in
USA. * New Hamburger University campus opens in Oak Brook,
Illinois. Set in 80 wooded acres. Training is provided for
every level of McDonald's management worldwide. A lodge with
154 rooms in also on the same site. * In Arkansas (USA), the
UFCW union, which was interested in recruiting McDonald's
workers, was involved in a union dispute at a chicken
processing plant supplying McDonald's. The union launched a
boycott of McDonald's 'McNuggets' and picketed many of its
stores. Stan Stein (McDonald's Head of Personnel and Labour
Relations) spent up to '80%' of a whole year fighting the
union's campaign.
1984 * Founder Ray Kroc dies. * James Huberty shoots 22
people dead at a McDonald's in San Diego (USA). * 50
billionth hamburger sold. * Ronald McDonald Children's
Charities is founded in his memory to raise funds in support
of child welfare. * A McDonald's pamphlet which is
distributed to health professionals in the UK states: "There
is a considerable amount of evidence to suggest that many of
the diseases which are more common in the western, affluent
world - diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease, stroke, and some forms of cancer -
are related to diet. The typical western diet is relatively
low in dietary fibre (roughage) and high in fat, salt and
sugar." * McDonald's now serves 17 million customers a day -
equivalent to serving lunch to the entire population of
Australia and New Zealand. If McDonald's lined up all the
hamburgers sold since 1955, they would:- * Circle the
equator 103.75 times; * Reach to the moon and back 5 times.
PHOTO: Ray Kroc demonstrating his fetish for cleanliness.
1985 * London Greenpeace (a radical group of civil rights
and environmental campaigners, independent of Greenpeace
International) launches a campaign intended to expose the
reality behind the advertising mask of the fast food chains,
including McDonald's. * Sergio Quintana, the sales director
of Coop Montecillos (the sole supplier of beef to McDonald's
stores in Costa Rica since 1970), stated on camera that his
company's beef was being supplied to McDonald's in the USA.
1986 * Drive-Thru restaurants opened in UK at Fallowfield,
Dudley, Neasden and Coventry. * Four workers in Madrid who
had called for union elections were sacked by McDonald's.
The company was forced to reinstate the workers after the
labour court ruled that the dismissals were illegal. * The
200th UK restaurant opened in lpswich.
PICTURE: Cover of the "What's wrong with McDonald's?"
factsheet produced by London Greenpeace.
* McDonald's became the first UK restaurant group to
introduce nutritional information, throughout the country,
for the benefit of customers. * London Greenpeace published
a 6-sided factsheet entitled "What's Wrong With McDonald's?
- Everything They Don't Want You To Know". * The first UK
franchisee-operated restaurant opened in Hayes, Middlesex. *
The first World Day of Action Against McDonald's was held on
16th October (UN 'World Food Day').
1987 * The Attorneys General of Texas, California and New
York threatened to sue McDonald's under the consumer
protection laws over an advertising campaign claiming that
McDonald's food is nutritious. The Attorneys General
concluded that the campaign was deceptive because
"McDonald's food is, as a whole, not nutritious." *
McDonald's is serving 20 million people a day in nearly
10,000 restaurants in 47 countries. * The UK Midlands
regional training centre opened in Sutton Coldfield. *
McDonald's started legal proceedings against the
Transnationals Information Centre (an independent research
and action group based in London) over a booklet they
produced called "Working for Big Mac" which was highly
critical of the company's employment practices. The TIC
backed down lacking resources to fight the case to trial,
discontinued publication and distribution of the booklet
(which was pulped), and the organisation itself went bust.
1988 * McDonald's sponsored the Child of Achievement Awards.
* CFCs ceased to be used for most of McDonald's styrofoam
packaging. * 300th UK restaurant opened in Dagenham, Essex.
PHOTO:An ad in a German newspaper which aims to counter
criticism that McDonald's is changing German restaurant
traditions for the worse.
1989 * Italian designer Valentino attempts in a Rome court
to stop McDonald's opening near the Piazza di Spagna,
complaining of "noise and disgusting odours". * McDonald's
is listed on the Frankfurt, Munich, Paris and Tokyo stock
exchanges. * The Bournemouth Advertiser (UK) is threatened
with a libel action by McDonald's over an article which
discussed the captive-bolt method of slaughter for cattle.
The newspaper backed down and published an apology. *
Michael Quinlan is appointed Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. * The UK company's name was changed to McDonald's
Restaurants Limited. * McDonald's send undercover private
investigators to infiltrate London Greenpeace over a period
of 20 months. * McDonald's charity for child welfare
fundraising, Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, was
registered. * McDonald's Child of Achievement Awards were
presented by UK Prime Minister Mrs Margaret Thatcher. * The
UK Manchester regional training centre was opened. *
McDonald's stores in Philadelphia (USA) were independently
surveyed and accused of having racist differential wage
rates between the inner-city stores (mostly black workers)
and the suburbs (mostly white workers).
1990 * September - libel writs were served on five
supporters of London Greenpeace, three of whom feel unable
to fight the case. The McLibel Support Campaign is set up to
generate solidarity and financial backing for the McLibel
Defendants. * McDonald's opened in Pushkin Square and Gorky
Street, Moscow. * McDonald's opened at a UK airport at North
Terminal, Gatwick. * The first Ronald McDonald House opened
at Guy's Hospital, London. * McDonald's Child of Achievement
Awards attended by HRH The Princess of Wales.
1991 * McDonald's were responsible for a serious food
poisoning outbreak in Preston (UK), when several customers
were hospitalised as a result of eating undercooked burgers
contaminated by potentially deadly <E.Coli> 0157H bacteria.
* The 150th Ronald McDonald House opened in Paris. *
McDonald's opened in Beijing, China. * The 400th UK
restaurant (and first in Northern Ireland) is opened in
Belfast. * McDonald's opens in Hampstead (North London)
despite strong opposition from local residents.
PHOTO: A 1950's newspaper advert.
1992 * Mark Hopkins, a McDonald's worker in Manchester (UK),
was fatally electrocuted on touching a 'fat filtering unit'
in the 'wash-up' area of the store. * The manager of a
Newcastle store (UK) was jailed for 6 months for inducing a
crew member to phone through a hoax bomb threat to nearby
Burger King in order to boost sales at McDonald's. *
McDonald's Child of Achievement Awards attended by UK Prime
Minister John Major. * McDonald's opened in a railway
station at Liverpool Street, London. * A UK Health & Safety
Executive report made 23 recommendations for improvements in
the safety of employees. One of its conclusions was "The
application of McDonald's hustle policy [ie. getting staff
to work at speed] in many restaurants was, in effect,
putting the service of the customer before the safety of
employees." * Visitors to Salisbury Cathedral (UK) are
offered two burgers for the price of one if they buy a
commemorative parchment scroll. The idea is dropped when the
bishop gets back from holiday. * First restaurant in a
European hospital opened at Guy's Hospital, London.
1993 * The first McDonald's at sea opened aboard the Silja
Europa, the world's largest ferry sailing between Stockholm
and Helsinki. * The Paris planning authorities refuse
permission for a McDonald's under the Eiffel Tower. * The
second Ronald McDonald House opened at Alder Hey Children's
Hospital, Liverpool. * 500th UK restaurant opened in Notting
Hill Gate, London. * First UK operated restaurant on a ship
opened on the Stena Sealink ferry "Fantasia" sailing between
Dover and Calais. * McDonald's sponsored athletics in the UK
through the McDonald's Young Athletes' League and the
International invitational meeting the McDonald's Games.
1994 * McLibel Trial starts on 28th June. * Restaurants
opened in Bahrain, Bulgaria, Egypt, Kuwait, Latvia, Oman,
New Caledonia, Trinidad and United Arab Emirates, bringing
the total to over 15,000 in 79 countries on 6 continents. *
McDonald's celebrated twenty years of operating in the UK. *
McDonald's environmental image was revealed to be a sham,
and customers being conned when it was discovered that
rubbish which customers were asked to put into separated
recycling bins throughout New Zealand stores was sent to the
tip. * McDonald's achieved the highest ever grade under the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)Quality
Safety Audit scheme. * McDonald's was voted the 'Most Parent
Friendly' restaurant in the UK for the second successive
year by the Tommy's Parent Friendly Campaign, supported by
the Daily Telegraph. * Workers in an Ontario store (Canada)
joined a union, but the company managed to avoid recognition
by ensuring victory in Labour Board sponsored elections. *
The McLibel Defendants issue a countersuit for libel against
McDonald's over the company's accusation in a leaflet that
they are telling lies. * Five McDonald's managers are
arrested in Lyon, France for trying to rig union elections.
* On 1st October, McDonald's UK executives held a
celebration along with a jazz band and clown at their
Woolwich store to mark 20 years since this first store
opened in the UK. Twenty five London Greenpeace and McLibel
supporters gathered with a banner reading "20 Years of
McGarbage" and handed out 4000 "What's Wrong With
McDonald's?" leaflets to passers-by. * In October, there is
an demonstration at McDonald's European headquarters in
London where sackfuls of the company's litter picked up off
the streets are returned. 500 people attend the National
March Against McDonald's through central London to protest
against the company's exploitation of people, animals and
the environment. * The company threatens legal action
against a topless restaurant in Australia called "McTits".
PHOTO:An ad in a German newspaper which aims to counter
criticism that McDonald's is changing German restaurant
traditions for the worse.
1995 * McLibel Trial becomes the longest libel trial in
British history on Day 102 in March. * On 15th April, there
were international protests to mark the 40th anniversary of
the opening of the world's first store of the McDonald's
Corporation, and to celebrate 10 years of co-ordinated
international resistance to McDonald's. * On the first
anniversary of the McLibel Trial (28th June), it becomes
known that McDonald's had initiated secret settlement
negotiations and had twice flown members of their US Board
of Directors to London to meet with the McLibel Defendants
in an attempt to bring the case to an end. * 12th October,
the third anniversary of the death of Mark Hopkins, was a
Day of Solidarity With McDonald's Workers in the UK. * On
16th October, the 11th annual Worldwide Day of Action
Against McDonald's, there were protests in at least 20
countries. In the UK, at least 250 of the company's 600
stores were leafletted. * On 11th December (Day 199 of the
trial), the McLibel Trial becomes the longest civil case in
English history. * Following widespread opposition by local
residents, McDonald's were refused permission to open an
outlet at their European headquarters in north London.
1996 * February 16th 10am, the McSpotlight website was
launched. * In March, the public's intense concern over the
links between the cattle disease BSE and its human
equivalent CJD forced McDonald's UK to ban British beef. The
company did not sell any beef products for a week while
supposedly waiting for beef supplies to arrive from other EU
countries. * The "Vegetable Deluxe" was launched in the UK.
* McDonald's opened stores in India. * McDonald's and Disney
announced a deal giving McDonald's exclusive rights to use
characters from Disney films in its promotions around the
world for 10 years. Commentators called it the biggest
global marketing alliance yet devised. * McDonald's opened a
store in Belarus, its 100th country. * The movie star Robin
Williams turned down a million-pound offer to advertise
McDonald's. * McDonald's threatened the owner of a UK
sandwich bar called "McMunchies" with legal action for
breach of trademark. A retired Scottish school-teacher
called Ronald McDonald, and the chief of the McDonald clan
in Scotland were both outraged at this further attempt by
McDonald's to claim global dominion over the prefix "Mc" and
the name "McDonald" which has been an Irish and Scottish
family name for centuries. * The Supreme Court of Denmark
ruled against McDonald's claim that a sausage stand called
"McAllan's" was in breach of its trademark. * Following
widespread opposition by local residents in Winchmore Hill
(north London) which put a lot of pressure on the local MP
(Michael Portillo, the Defence Secretary), McDonald's were
refused permission to convert the local Conservative
Association HQ into a Drive-Thru. * McDonald's sued for
breach of trademark a Jamaican fast-food company (called the
McDonald's Corporation Limited) which had been operating in
Jamaica since the early 1970's. The Jamaican company
succeeded in getting information from the McLibel Trial
taken from the Internet ruled admissible in the case, and in
getting an order barring McDonald's from opening stores in
the country until the courtcase was completed. * McDonald's
succeeded in its trademark battle in South Africa, when an
appeal court prohibited competitors from using its name and
the golden arches symbol. * McDonald's began spending $200
million on a promotional blitz in the USA & Canada to lure
adults to visit their outlets. This included the launch of
the new adult burger, the "Arch Deluxe" in May. Despite this
blitz, US sales continued to fall. * The parents of a child,
who died from <E.Coli> 0157 food poisoning after eating
McDonald's burgers in Spain and England, began legal
proceedings for compensation in the USA. Meanwhile, three
children who suffered <E.Coli> 0157 food poisoning in
England also from McDonald's burgers were granted legal aid
to sue McDonald's and their supplier McKey's. * McDonald's
opened the world's first fast-food ski-through in the
Lindvallen resort (Sweden). * The McLibel Trial became the
longest trial of any kind in English legal history in
November. The evidence was completed in July, and the
closing speeches in December, but the Judge reserved his
Judgment until the following year.