Fun (and delicious) facts about McDonald’s

With over 100 billion customers served between 1940 and 1994 (they stopped counting after hitting 100 billion) McDonald’s is arguably the most recognizable fast-food chain in the world.

While you probably know that they serve Big Macs and french fries, there’s a lot of things about the popular restaurant that you probably didn’t know, so grab yourself a milkshake and learn something new!

They Didn’t Serve Burgers Until Nearly A Decade After Opening

It’s obviously known for its Big Macs and fries, but before it was one of the most recognizable fast-food chains in the world, McDonald’s was actually a BBQ restaurant.

In 1940, the McDonald brothers opened their first McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California as a BBQ joint but switched to selling the classic burger and fries just 8 years later. The original restaurant is now used as a McDonald’s museum.

The Mythical McDonald’s Gold Card

Much like Willy Wonka’s magical golden tickets, a select few people on earth have McDonald’s Gold Cards which give them access to free McDonald’s for life, with some regulations.

The easiest way to obtain a Gold Card is from a local franchisee, who can offer free McDonald’s for life at restaurants within a certain area, like for Warren Buffett who has free McDonald’s at any store in his hometown of Omaha. According to Buffett, there are only two people on earth who have Gold Cards that give them free McDonald’s anywhere on earth, one of whom is Bill Gates.

Before Ronald, There Was Speedee

While most people recognize the Ronald McDonald mascot, before Ronald there was another mascot, Speedee.

Speedee was introduced as the company’s mascot in 1948 when the company brand went through a makeover, and he had a solid career up until 1962. In the early 1960s, it was decided that McDonald’s mascot Speedee too closely resembled the similarly-named Alka Seltzer mascot Speedy, so in order to avoid confusion or any association with stomach problems, the company retired their beloved Speedee.

Body Shaming Ronald McDonald

After Speedee’s retirement party, McDonald’s created their now infamous mascot Ronald McDonald, and they hired TV personality Willard Scott in 1963 to play the role of Ronald.

Unfortunately for Scott, he was let go just 3 years later due to his heavier-set build. McDonald’s wanted to hire multiple Ronalds around the country and were concerned they wouldn’t be able to find enough actors that could match Scott’s body type, so they fired him and chose someone else.

McDonald’s Runs Its Own University

That’s right, McDonald’s has its own university and it’s called Hamburger University. Hamburger University opened in 1961 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois as a way to train executive employees.

Since opening, over 200,000 young people have attended Hamburger University and it’s estimated that more than 40% of McDonald’s senior leaders are graduates of the university. Aside from the Illinois location, there are campuses in locations such as Munich, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Sydney for Mcdonald’s employees to attend for classes on leadership development, business growth, and other valuable skills.

Coca-Cola At McDonald’s Legitimately Does Taste Better

If you’re one of those people who claim that McDonald’s Coca-Cola tastes better than any other fast-food chain, it turns out you’re actually right and there’s a reason for it.

In order to have the most authentic tasting Coke, McDonald’s follows the specific guidelines recommended by Coke including chilling the syrup in the machines, and the syrup is reportedly transported in stainless steel containers to preserve its flavor.

Rumors Of Satanic Cult Connections Hurt Their Profits

In the heyday of the Satanic Panic in the U.S. in the 1970s, one rumor circulated that McDonald’s owner and franchisee Ray Kroc gave 20 percent of his profits to a cult in Los Angeles known as Satan’s Church.

While the rumor was never proven, McDonald’s saw a dip in profits, particularly for restaurants located in the Bible Belt states such as Kentucky and Louisiana. The rumor was speculated to have been started by a rival fast-food chain but that was never confirmed.

There’s Only One U.S. State Capital Without A McDonald’s

While there are McDonald’s virtually everywhere you go, there is one state capital in the United States that doesn’t have any restaurant locations. State capitals are often pictured as big cities that draw a lot of tourists, which would be a good place for a McDonald’s location, but Montpelier, Vermont refuses to allow one.

It’s the smallest state capital in the country in terms of population and the city favors local restaurants over chains, so Montpelier also doesn’t have a Burger King within its city limits.

San Francisco Tried To Ban Happy Meals

In 2011, the city of San Francisco passed a law that would prevent fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s from giving away toys, books, or trinkets in Happy Meals or any kids meals unless the meal met the state’s nutritional standards.

In order to work around this new law, McDonald’s locations in San Francisco now charge 10 cents for the toy and parents have to request it, so it’s no longer a free toy and they don’t have to meet nutritional standards. The profits from all the 10 cent toys are donated to local Ronald McDonald Houses in San Francisco.

You Can Thank The US Military For The Creation Of McDonald’s Drive-Thrus

in 1973, McDonald’s opened a location in Sierra Vista, Arizona, which was the closest location to a number of US Army bases and locations.

At the time, military members weren’t allowed to enter local businesses while wearing fatigues per Army regulations. This rule cut into the location’s business, so the management came up with the idea for a drive-thru window so soldiers could still come to McDonald’s without violating any regulations.

McDonald’s Is Banned From At Least 10 Countries Around The World

It may seem like there’s a McDonald’s no matter where you go in the world, and while that’s mostly true, there’s a handful of countries that you shouldn’t bank on finding a McDonald’s at.

Countries such as North Korea, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe are a few of the ones who have banned the popular fast-food franchise, typically for cultural or governmental reasons. Bermuda, for instance, banned the chain because they want to keep their country authentic and don’t allow any foreign fast-food chains.

McDonald’s Tried To Create Bubble Gum Flavored Broccoli

In an attempt to find a way to make vegetables more enjoyable and appealing to children, McDonald’s experimented with different flavors of vegetables, including making broccoli that tasted like bubble gum.

If you’re thinking that it doesn’t sound like it would taste good, you would be correct. The bubble gum broccoli made it as far as focus group testing, where the kids tasting the product were simply confused and McDonald’s ultimately axed the product.

You Can Have A Destination McDonald’s Wedding In Hong Kong

In 2011, McDonald’s locations in Hong Kong launched a wedding party package due to customer demand (yes that’s right, people requested this) and it’s been a huge hit.

There are four wedding reception packages to choose from, with the most expensive package including a two-hour rental of a decorated location as well as invitations and gifts for 50 guests, an emcee, a bridal bouquet, and an apple pie wedding cake display.

Not All Their Arches Are Golden

Save for a few countries, no matter where you are in the world you’re probably going to stumble upon a McDonald’s, and the restaurant chain is good at making their restaurants fit in with its location.

Due to their desire to make a restaurant location in Sedona, Arizona fit in with the distinct desert landscape, this one restaurant is the only location in the world with turquoise arches. The turquoise was meant to echo the sky, and the building itself is more red & orange to resemble the desert terrain.