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Franchises are big business, but they're adjusting to economic headwinds

Sep 22, 2023
Franchisees get help with marketing and branding, but the corporate parent can’t do much about high interest rates and labor costs.
McDonald's royalty fees will rise from 4% to 5% for some franchisees, according to a company email viewed by Marketplace.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

For Russians, McDonald's was once a symbol of modernity. Its closing feels like a step backward.

Mar 23, 2022
When the golden arches opened, Russians marveled at how it differed from local restaurants: friendly service and plastic packaging.
When McDonald's opened in Moscow in 1990, Russians looked at it as "a window to a different world," says Konstantin Sonin, a University of Chicago professor who grew up in Russia. Above, the Pushkin Square restaurant.
AFP via Getty Images

For global brands, pulling out of Russia isn't a yes-or-no question

Mar 8, 2022
Logistics, business models and a fear of Russians' reactions are all factors.
The Kremlin's towers are reflected in the window of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow. The chain said Tuesday that it would temporarily close its Russian locations.
Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images

As office workers mostly work from home, coffee and breakfast chains scramble to boost sales

Nov 5, 2020
The change in your morning routine is impacting the grab-and-go breakfast business.
Fast-food chains were investing more heavily in breakfast foods before the pandemic started.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

Most fast-food franchises have bounced back in short order

Aug 5, 2020
Pizza chains and others that allow for social distancing have done especially well. Those that depend on breakfast haven't.
An employee directs drive-thru traffic at a crowded McDonald's in Scotland.
Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

The complicated history of McDonald's and Black America

Jul 6, 2020
Author Marcia Chatelain examines the fast-food chain's relationship with its Black franchisees and consumers.
Black Lives Matter protesters march past a Philadelphia McDonald's restaurant.
ela/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Where do earnings expectations come from?

Oct 29, 2019
Analysts estimate how a company will perform.
A trader works during the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange,
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
A McDonald's sign outside a restaurant in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

McDonald's bets on AI to help it sell more burgers

Mar 26, 2019
The fast food chain is acquiring digital startup Dynamic Yield for more than $300 million.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images