McDonald’s Empire

Ready to have your mind blown?? Here are 15 facts about McDonald’s, presented by Gus Lubin and Mamta Badkar on the Business Insider (www.businessinsider.com)

1. McDonald’s daily customer traffic is greater than the population of Great Britain…62 million people.
2. McDonald’s sells more than 75 hamburgers every second woooahhh
3. McDonad’s generates $24 billion in revenue, making it the the 90th largest economy in the world.
4. Including the $32 billion in revenue from franchise stores, McDonalds has the 68th biggest economy. That’s above the country of Ecuador.
5. McDonald’s hires around 1 million workers in the US every year.
6. One in eight American workers has been employed by McDonald’s.
7. Sharon Stone, Shania Twain, Jay Leno, Rachel McAdams, and Pink worked at McDonalds before they were famous.
8. McDonald’s is the world’s largest distributor of toys, with one included in 20% of all sales.
9. McDonald’s iconic golden arches are recognized by more people than the cross.
10. The Queen of England owns a McDonald’s near Buckingham Palace as a part of her vast real estate portfolio.
11. For the next three years, McDonald’s is going to open one restaurant every day in China.
12. McDonald’s delivers in 18 countries.
13. The only place in the lower 48
14. Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonalds in a year…that five and a half million head of cattle.
15. McDonald’s chicken nuggets used to be made of this pink goop. Sorry that now you probably want to throw up.

McDonald’s, no doubt, has made a significant impact on society. Is the impact good or bad? I think it’s a toss up; I’m not even sure myself. If you examine the facts, they seem to be pretty evenly distributed. For the pros, McDonald’s has spent over $3.3 billion in its communities and charitable causes. McDonalds created the Ronald McDonald House Charities for sick children and their families. In addition, McDonald’s has been known to provide relief after natural disasters. After Hurricane Katrina, McDonald’s donated over $5 million in relief efforts. They also donated $3.3 million to Southeast Asia within the first month of the tsunami. McDonald’s has positively impacted the economy by creating about 450,705 jobs and paying more than $231.3 million in taxes. McDonalds also produces more than $6.3 billion in spending and more than $1.3 billion in additional taxes through jobs they supplied. Not only has McDonald’s positively impacted the economy of the United States, it has aided other countries across the globe, as well.

Now, on the flip side…McDonald’s has certainly had its negative side effects on society. The food it serves is high in fat, sugar, and salt and low in nutritious value like fiber and vitamins. A persistent diet of this type can result in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The chemical additives in the food also pose a risk of hyperactivity in children. In an experiment, an individual ate McDonalds every day for five days and gained nearly 10 pounds! Additionally, McDonald’s provides poor labor conditions for its workers. Employees receive low wages, which sets the standard for other fast-food establishments. Because of pressure to generate high profits, its restaurants are often understaffed and employees are forced to work long, hard hours.

Although it was only established 70 years ago, McDonald’s has managed to grow into an empire with over 34,000 franchise locations worldwide. Whether we like it or not, McDonald’s has changed the world we live in.

(**Facts and statistics provided by userwww.service.emory.edu)