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Posted on 09/25/2026 7:53:23 AM PDT by Red Badger
McDonald’s is spending billions of dollars to boost its franchises, an effort to cement its title as the leader in fast food amid growing competition.
The chain announced Wednesday that it will invest $8.5 billion by 2036 on a series of initiatives, including remodeling restaurants, retraining its 2 million employees and adding new menu items to target high-protein eaters.
About $5 billion will be spent in the next three and a half years alone, a combination of capital support as well as rent relief for franchises.
It’s all part of a multiyear strategy to win back diners and capture more market share. Last month, McDonald’s reported its slowest quarterly growth since 2025. The chain had blamed the decline on launching too many promotions, plus inadequate customer service and its massive World Cup promotion failing to attract eaters.
The new strategy, called “Next,” aims to make the chain “the first choice for more customers, more often — while making our restaurants stronger and easier to run,” CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a press release.
McDonald’s troubles are part of broader economic issues affecting all dining chains, with rising food prices causing customers to dine out less. The chain’s stock has fallen about 20% for the year.
What’s new? In addition to rent relief and capital support, some of that multibillion-dollar spend will be used for remodeling restaurants. McDonald’s mandates its franchises remodel every decade.
Images revealed on Wednesday show expansive dining rooms, bigger play areas and improved lighting. There are also redesigned kitchens that will use new AI tools to improve speed and efficiency, which the company said it expects to earn each restaurant an additional $100,000 in cash flow via savings.
McDonald’s also focused on changing its menu as it combats new competition that includes a revitalized Burger King, ...
(Excerpt) Read more at lite.cnn.com ...
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A McDonalds in Michigan closed and was promptly demolished after multiple violent incidents. The final incident involved an angry customer clambering over the ordering counter with a metal pipe and beating an employee savagely with it.
Yeah, I know they’re really pushing those kiosks.
I went to another place, not McDonald’s, and tried to use the kiosk ,and wasn’t able to place my order. So that place lost a sale.
I know part of using the kiosk is that they will save on labor costs. Because you don’t need as many employees. I wonder if business owners consider anything about how kiosks can frustrate people. And they can lose sales that way.
I wonder if McDonald’s is doing market research,as far as what people think of the food. Personally, I do not like the food at McDonald’s. All these changes they want to make, may not have a big impact, if people just don’t like the food. And we consumers have choices of other places to go to.
We have had some threads about Starbucks here recently, and people talking about how they’d rather go to a local coffee shop than Starbucks. Similarly, I personally know of a couple of local burger places who make good burgers, and I much prefer them to Mcdonald’s.
According to McDonald’s nutrition disclosures, popular high-protein choices include:
<><>McCrispy Strips / McCrispy Chicken: around 30 grams of protein.
<><>Double Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese: roughly 48-54 grams depending on bacon add-in.
<><>10-Piece Chicken McNuggets: 23 grams of protein.
<><>McDouble: Offers 22 grams of protein.
<><>Egg McMuffin: 17 grams of protein for breakfast.
<><>Filet-O-Fish: Contains 16 grams of protein.
Back in the day, they had a smaller menu, and if you went at peak hours, they had a bunch of pre-made sandwiches there ready to go.
I want 2 cheeseburgers, fries, and a Coke. They turned around, grabbed the 2 cheeseburgers that were sitting there, grabbed the fries that were already in the bag, filled your coke, and you had a 45 second transaction.
They can't afford to have 5 of every sandwich they sell sitting there. So you have to wait for it to be made. Maybe the quality is better, but eh, maybe not.
Of course back in the day, you couldn't work the counter even if you had bad acne (look it up). Now you probably couldn't hire fresh faced kids for under $25 an hour.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. I have never eaten at a McDonalds and never plan to do so.
FWIW, I find Culver’s currently to be the closest to an early 1990s McDonalds experience. Brighter, no kiosks (at least at the ones around me). You do have to wait for your food, but they bring it to you, you don’t have to mill around the counter area for 5 minutes.
No kidding. And at Taco Bell the Burrito Supreme ain’t so supreme any more!
One thing caught my eye. I liked the movie “The Founder” about Ray Kroc with Michael Keaton. His true stroke of genius was realizing that McDonalds could reap vast profits from owning the land and renting it to franchisees. I see “rent relief” as an aspect of this plan. I have no idea what the current rent structure is, but with shrinking products and higher prices, and here in CA a $20 minimum wage, this is probably a smart thing to do
Make the double cheeseburger like it was before and we’ll be fine. What they’ve done to their cheeseburgers is the wrong direction.
Make the double cheeseburger like it was before and we’ll be fine. What they’ve done to their cheeseburgers is the wrong direction.
So was Switzerland, and the people were snotty. It's beautiful but I have no desire to go back.
lol, I walked into a newer Popeyes for the first time ever (they only recently expanded to my state) and thought I had walked into the ‘Hood saw drug deal going on behind the counter.
almost asked if I could get watermelon with my chicken, but decided to leave instead.
never went back
Last time I ate McDonald’s crap was like 20 years ago ,LOL
“Using the app?”
Not a good choice of greeting at the drive thru first thing in the morning. Or any time of day.
Are they going halal or are they already halal the cruelty to animals bunch
My experience as well. I’ll never go back.
Never had any incidents, but I got a lot of glares from certain people.
I DO remember those days! My father used to get a bag full of their burgers and feed our family of four kids. We used to sit by the lake in Brightwaters on Long Island and enjoy them.
Oh those were the days, my friend. We thought they’d never end.
All of their food has been downsized. I'm eating much more at home these days, just had a new HEB open within a couple of miles.
McDonalds will need to retrain their employees in multiple languages, too. The two McDonalds in my 'burb are mostly middle-aged Mexican women. There are also a few Indian teenagers with horrible accents.
On a recent trip to Oceanside CA, I had a Tanner’s Prime Burger and fries twice in 10 days. It’s the best burger I’ve ever had.
Permanent McRib or I’m never going back
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