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McDonald's

Financing

The story of McDonald's strange year, in 2 parts

 By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 08, 2025

The Bottom Line: The quick-service giant’s dichotomous year was illustrated with back-to-back stories on the chain’s successful Grinch meal and its new value-focused franchising standards.

Operations

McDonald's is making value part of its franchise standards

 By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 08, 2025

The fast-food giant, which is trying to bring back lower-income consumers frustrated by menu price inflation, will take additional steps to monitor operators’ work with third-party pricing consultants.

Marketing

McDonald's Grinch Meal is apparently a huge hit

By Jonathan Maze on Dec. 05, 2025

The fast food giant’s latest effort at nostalgia-based marketing is apparently flying out of its restaurants, to the point that locations are already running out of the chain’s Grinch-themed socks.

Financing

President Trump, looking to tout his economic record, returns to McDonald's

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 18, 2025

In a campaign-style speech to the fast-food giant’s franchisees, the president praised the company’s price cuts on Extra Value Meals and vowed to lower inflation.

Financing

McDonald's is making a big bet on its Extra Value Meals

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 05, 2025

The Bottom Line: The fast-food giant argues that its lower-priced combo meals will generate more customers and more sales over time, and profitability will follow. But costs aren’t exactly decreasing.

Financing

The Snack Wrap and value meals drove McDonald's sales last quarter

By Jonathan Maze on Nov. 05, 2025

The company’s same-store sales rose 2.4% in the U.S. last quarter as the fast-food giant works its way out of a domestic slump. Each of the chain’s major markets showed growth in the period.

Financing

Did McDonald's price cuts work? It's complicated

By Jonathan Maze on Oct. 10, 2025

McDonald's Extra Value Meals campaign with 5% lower prices hasn't reversed declining foot traffic, with visits down 3-5% post-launch as value wars intensify across fast-food chains struggling with low-income consumer pullback.

Beverage

A look at McDonald's new 'CosMc's-inspired' beverage lineup

By Joe Guszkowski on Sep. 26, 2025

We tried a selection of the fast-food burger chain’s crafted drinks, which are in test at about 500 locations. Here’s what we thought.

Financing

McDonald's makes strange bedfellows with its tip-credit blowup

By Jonathan Maze on Sep. 19, 2025

The Bottom Line: McDonald’s decision to take on the tip credit, and then say nothing else, has generated heavy criticism and a lot of questions. Why would it take on this topic right now?

Financing

On McDonald's head-scratching stand on the tip credit

By Jonathan Maze on Sep. 17, 2025

A Deeper Dive: A special episode of the restaurant finance podcast explores the tip credit, and why the fast-food giant opted to leave the National Restaurant Association over the issue.

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