Will McDonald's be a Family Restaurant Again?

If many Owner/Operators invested in the wrong decor, should PJB pay for changes with corporate capex?

Restaurant chains are turning their attention to families - RestBusi

David Beckham and McDonald's

Shares how McDonald's brings his family together - People

Is PJB Responsible for "Gray and Generic"?

"Over the past decade or so, McDonald’s has renovated its restaurants to make them sleeker and more modern. In the process, it has largely removed playful colors and mascots, sparking criticism that locations felt gray and generic. The company is now looking at “injecting some of the playfulness” back while making layouts airier and more open, according to Jill McDonald, who took over as the company’s chief restaurant experience officer last year."

Wasn't the new decor one of PJB's first initiatives after joining McDonald's?

Customerexperience.com

Vote Until You Get it Right

McDonald's Corporation held its 2026 annual meeting on May 20th. Results of the voting for officers and directors have been published.

McDonald's has 710 million shares outstanding

The typical board member received just under 500 million votes "For" serving until the 2027 board meeting.

There are always votes "against" certain director candidates. Aside from the CEO/Chairman, the average director received 11 million "Against" votes.

The CEO/Chairman received nearly 39 million votes "Against".

Some have speculated that this highly negative vote was a complaint related to the same person serving as CEO and Chairman. Or, it could just be a reaction to the recent performance of McDonald's shares.

Or it could be a reaction to the CEO's oddball behavior on social media and a fear that the CEO is not a serious or stable person.

Source: Edger - SEC.gov

Highlights from Minichart.com

.

Anonymous Comment of the Month - May 2026

Unknown commented on "Starbucks CEO Has Blunt Message on Discounts"

May 6, 2026

"Got a call from my Field Office Vice-President - "It looks like your not following the recomnedation of Deliotte pricing on under $3, just wanted to bring it to your attention, your affected pricing is above what it was previously" No S..t, I am already discounting a McChicken a dollar lower than before and explain their whole math to them. I also mentioned just spending close to $50K average per restaurant on Technology and just recevied my new NRBES which is probably over $100k per restaurant and McD's want six month plan to complete. Ok so let's sell basically items under $3, lower a dozen or so other items which items sold now at discount will be over 50% of the products sold, not sure where they think the money will be coming from." 

Starbucks: To AI or not to AI

At Starbucks, pen and paper beats AI

"As the chain suggested, restaurants should consider where AI really adds value—and where it just adds more work." 

But Will He Smear Soft-Serve on His Baconator?

Jonathan Maze on Wendy's new CEO - RestBusiness

Chicago: McDonald's Park to Open in 2028

Given the growing popularity of soccer, this appears to be a good move and should benefit the brand worldwide. Just don't stick the Chicago Owner/Operator with the entire bill.

Chicago soccer club to name McDonald's stadium

FOX News - Chicago

=========================================================================

Speaking of things that are good for the McDonald's brand: Am I just missing it, or is McDonald's USA doing nothing to join the companies celebrating the 250 year (semiquincentennial) anniversary of the United States? I know some Owners are taking action, but where is corporate or OPNAD? McDonald's is a premier American company and should be at the forefront of this opportunity.

I expect the attention to this holiday will be the most intense, beginning with Memorial Day and culminating on the Fourth of July. It's not too late to make some plans if none

exist.

                 

The $20 Million Man and MCD Share Price

Anyone who follows or invests in publicly traded stocks has seen situations where the price of the stock takes a hit due to unexpected results or some news that frightens investors. Very often, the price of the stock will rebound, sometimes the next day, and sometimes back to a newer high. This is a sign that investors have confidence that management has the skills and experience to move the company forward. Without this confidence, the stock price will stagnate or drift lower.

There are many factors impacting the recent performance of McDonald's shares but a major one has to be the embarrassing performances of the CEO on social media. How can one have confidence in such an executive, given his tomfoolery?

Any news about McDonald's universally mentions his hesitations about the food.

This is not the road to recovery for the share price.

Source: stockcharts.com

MCD Won't Make 50K Stores on Time - That's a Good Thing

From QSR Magazine:

"However, Borden and Kempczinski emphasized that development decisions will be based on returns rather than hitting a fixed unit target.

“We’re not chasing an absolute growth number,” Kempczinski said, noting that locations that no longer meet return thresholds due to rising construction or supply chain costs will be removed from the pipeline."

Not chasing a number? They've been chasing a number since the announcement of "Accelerating the Arches". It's obvious this inexperienced management team, with little experience building stores, is running into snags they didn't expect.

While it's not a scientific measurement, there have been numerous press articles about cities, towns, and communities giving the corporation a hard time about permitting a location. For an experienced McDonald's person, this is nothing new. It's been happening since the 1970s. There's always a group in the area who think they know better, or one or two grey-haired hippies on the local council or planning board. But PJB wouldn't know that.

Using construction costs as an excuse is silly since they can just pass those costs on to the franchisee. Unless they are building a McOpCo, and it doesn't seem they'll be doing much of that.

So, PJB is laying the groundwork for a future admission that he can't make the previously announced goals.

QSR Magazine - McDonald's weighs refranchising

Two Views on Discounting - Jonathan Maze

Burger King says: " We don't need no stinking discounting".

McDonald's says: Those margins were “not acceptable,” CFO Ian Borden told analysts.

Analysts Worried MCD Owners Will Raise Prices

If one reads the analyst's comments in both the transcript and the press, it's obvious that management will be selling a bunch of McOpCos this summer. A CEO with no restaurant experience can't make money in the restaurant business? Who'da thunk it?

Bernstein cuts MCD target on franchisee concerns

McDonald's Announces Q1 2026 Results

McDonald's first quarter 2006 earnings announced - Fortune

Investor conference call transcript - Yahoo

Is OPNAD Ready For A 60th Birthday?

There have been many comments mentioning OPNAD. While I doubt McDonald's Owners read them, profiles and press releases about McDonald's corporate personnel often mention that the featured person has been involved in "modernizing" McDonald's. 

What about modernizing OPNAD?

OPNAD was launched in the late 1960s as an Owner/Operator initiative.

 Keep in mind, in the late 1960s:

The Vietnam War was at its peak.

Lyndon Johnson was POTUS.

Seat belts were only an option in new cars.

No one on McDonald's senior management team had been born yet.

Yet, OPNAD keeps marching along as though it is part of the McDonald's franchise. It's really not. It's just that management has worked hard at making it seem so.

If McDonald's Owner/Operators are unhappy with, or don't trust, OPNAD, shouldn't this financial powerhouse be modernized?

Starbucks CEO Has Blunt Message on Discounts

...But it trained customers to wait for discounts, which crushed margins and diluted the brand.

JIB Franchisee Suing JIB Corporate

".....accusing the fast-food chain of a litany of problems, including cannibalizing its stores with new locations, marketing problems and royalties on delivery orders."

“Plaintiffs have suffered millions of dollars in damages and seek all remedies permitted by law.”  

PJB's Latest Clown Act

Soft serve on a Filet-O-Fish - Something a 13-year-old would do

If this guy had any adult supervision he wouldn't be allowed on the internet

I Asked Grok - "should the same person be corporate ceo and also chair of the board?"

Grok says:

 No, the same person should not automatically serve as both corporate CEO and chair of the board. While it's common in the U.S. (especially among larger companies), the balance of governance principles, potential risks, and empirical evidence leans toward separating the roles in most cases—particularly for mature public companies. The decision ultimately depends on the company's size, stage, culture, and specific circumstances, but separation is increasingly viewed as a stronger governance practice.

Key Arguments For and Against Combining the Roles (CEO Duality)

Arguments in favor of combining CEO and Chair roles (stewardship or "unity of command" perspective):

• Faster, more decisive leadership: One person has clear authority, reducing internal conflict, duplication of effort, or confusion over strategy. This can be especially useful in fast-moving industries, crises, or smaller/younger companies (e.g., startups or founder-led firms) where unified direction helps execution.
• Deeper knowledge and efficiency: The CEO has intimate operational insight, which helps when setting board agendas, facilitating communication between management and directors, and making informed decisions without information gaps.
• Avoids potential power struggles: A separate chair could create rivalry or slow things down. Some studies show that forced separations (due to investor pressure) can lead to negative stock reactions and weaker subsequent performance in certain contexts.
• Works well with strong boards: If independent directors and committees are robust, duality may not harm oversight much.

Arguments against combining the roles (agency theory perspective, emphasizing checks and balances):

• Conflict of interest and weakened oversight: The board's primary job is to monitor and hold management (including the CEO) accountable—hiring, firing, evaluating performance, and setting compensation. When the CEO chairs the board, they influence meeting agendas, discussions, and even their own oversight, potentially leading to entrenchment, higher pay without strong performance links, or suppressed dissent.
• Better independence and governance: A separate, independent chair can run board meetings more objectively, encourage candid input from directors, and serve as a neutral bridge to shareholders. This is seen as reducing risks seen in scandals (e.g., Boeing, WeWork).
• Focus and bandwidth: Being CEO is already a demanding full-time operational role. Adding chair duties (facilitating board dynamics, shareholder relations) can dilute effectiveness.
• Global norms and trends: In the UK, Europe (e.g., Germany often prohibits it), Canada, and Australia, separation is the standard or strongly preferred. The U.S. has been shifting slowly—S&P 500 companies with combined roles dropped from around 50-65% in earlier years to about 40-45% in recent data, with more independent chairs emerging.

Empirical research on performance is mixed and inconclusive overall. Many meta-analyses and studies find no strong, consistent link between duality and better (or worse) firm performance, risk-taking, or compensation. Outcomes often depend on context: duality may suit high-complexity, innovative, or dynamic environments, while separation benefits firms needing stronger monitoring. Forced splits sometimes correlate with poorer results, suggesting boards should choose based on firm-specific needs rather than blanket rules.

Practical Considerations and Best Practices

• Company stage matters: Duality is more defensible in early-stage, founder-led, or high-growth private/venture companies where agility trumps formal checks. For large public firms, separation (or at least a strong lead independent director as a compromise) is preferable.
• Safeguards if combined: Strong independent directors, robust committees (e.g., audit, compensation chaired by independents), regular CEO evaluations, and clear role definitions can mitigate risks.
• If separated: The chair should ideally be independent (not a recent former executive), with a defined, non-overlapping mandate focused on board leadership rather than operations.
• Trends and pressure: Institutional investors, proxy advisors, and activists increasingly push for separation as a governance "best practice." Many companies now disclose their rationale in proxies (required by SEC rules since 2010). Splits often occur during transitions, crises, or succession planning.

In short, while a talented, trustworthy leader can handle both roles effectively in the right setting, separating them generally promotes healthier accountability, reduces conflicts, and aligns better with modern expectations of good corporate governance. Boards should evaluate this thoughtfully rather than defaulting to tradition—ask: What structure best serves shareholders and long-term value here? Many successful companies thrive either way, but the default presumption should favor independence unless there's a compelling reason otherwise.

Written entirely by Grok, I just cut and paste

https://grok.com/

Upddate on Joint Employer

IFA Praises Trump Administration Joint Employer Rule

McDonald's Store Counts - End of 2025

Management might update 2026 YTD store counts on the upcoming conference call (5/7 8:30 AM} .

In December, PJB told President Trump the company would open 900 new stores in the USA this year.

He'd better hurry.

Jonathan Maze looks at the numbers - RestBus

McDonald's Desperately Seeking Franchisees

McDonald's Corp. and QSR magazine sponsoring a recruiting webinar

Don't Miss the Anonymous Comments Under "Should PJB Be His Own Boss?"

 .

Trump Gets McDonald's Delivered to Oval Office

To tout "no tax" tips - Washington Examiner

Should PJB Be His Own Boss?

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) is a conservative 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. It focuses on promoting ethics and accountability in public life, government, and corporations through research, investigations, public education, litigation, and advocacy.

The NLPC has submitted Proposal 4 for consideration at the McDonald's annual shareholders meeting on May 20, 2026.

Proposal 4 would require the board to adopt a policy for an independent chair of the board. The CEO, a company employee, is not an independent person. PJB became CEO in 2019 and was elected as chair in 2024.

Recent events have shown that he needs adult supervision.

NLPC's explanation of their action is in a press release HERE

Please note that the above press release includes a link to their version of PJB's history. The link is just above his picture.

In-N-Out CEO Says NO to Delivery

 Why pursue channels that aren't profitable? - FOX News

PJB Makes Matters Worse

After embarrassing himself and brand McDonald's with silly social media postings, a competent CEO would lie low for a while and work on long-term image repair. But not PJB. He's obsessed with being a celebrity and calls in the Wall Street Journal to expand his profile.

Here's USA Today's coverage of the WSJ interview

For WSJ subscribers, here's the actual interview

Bankrupt Franchisee Blames California $20 Wage

Maybe Carl's Jr. operator has too many stores? - RestBus

Maze Comments on Chick on X

 

Jonathan Maze

@jonathanmaze

·

1h

Chick-fil-A's FDD is out. Stand-alone locations average $9.2 million in sales a year, down 1.7%. But mall location average-unit volumes were up 1.4% to $4.6 million. Highest volume CFA now does > $20 million. Company added 178 U.S. locations last year and now has 3,287 restaurants.

McDonald's New Director

I missed this one by a month or so, but McDonald's recently added (IMHO) a celebrity director to its board, Ford CEO James Farley. I've noticed Farley on the business channels for his ease in interviews. His responses aren't canned and rehearsed directly out of Ford's PR department. 

Plus, he's a real "car-guy."

Plus, he's a cousin of the late Saturday Night Live star Chris Farley. You'll see the resemblance.

He's a far more interesting person than most on the BOD.

James D. Farley Jr. elected to McDonald's board

Liberal Politicians Are Your April Fools

Colorado officials want to ban delivered napkins, straws, etc

Pizza Giant Now Selling Sandwiches

Papa John's rolls out toasted sandwiches - NRN

Maze on New Whopper

Jonathan Maze on X

@jonathanmaze

"Finally tried the upgraded Whopper. I stopped on my way home from the airport, went through the DT and ate it in the parking lot like a surprising big percentage of fast-food visits.

Exceptional burger. The upgrades are subtle yet very effective, especially the improved bun and the packaging. Still a Whopper. It’s just a better Whopper. Impressive stuff."

ON the Move

 

Click to enlarge

Analyst Kalinowski says KPop Promo Worth $100 Million

 Netflix-McDonald's collaboration should be "Golden" for the Golden Arches.

Jonathan Maze on a Few Political and Legal Issues:

Restaurants and Politics:

Midterm elections as seen by the National Restaurant Association

I'd bet that very few McDonald's franchisees have ever touched, paged through, or read their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Especially with the number of next-gen Owner/Operators and former employees in the Operator ranks. Most signed up without reading anything.

Everyone needs "due diligence."

Big Arch Provided Modest Traffic Bump

" the Big Arch wasn't meant to be a traffic play" - NRN

California Fast Food Wage Negative Impacts

$20 wage upped prices, cut jobs - Dan Walters

Chains Play Hardball on Delivery Fees

A lot gets written about the costs of delivery impacting restaurant operators. Maybe the question should be, why would the average consumer spend the extra money to have your food delivered?

If the industry focus is on "value," why are restaurants promoting the most expensive way to access the product?

My household spent a lot of money on delivery during the pandemic. Then we enjoyed going out and our trips to the grocery store. Lately, for various reasons, we've ordered more from McDonald's (Big Arch) and a few other chains. Gosh, it's expensive! Those fees! The gratuities! At least as compared to jumping in the car and driving a few minutes to my local McDonald's.

It's my impression that some people can afford to have their food delivered. But for those who can't or won't, no amount of advertising will force them to carve out more of their budget for food delivery.

Trying to increase sales with "value" and also trying to increase delivery sales are contradictory messages.

From now on, I'll see you at the drive-thru.

Pie Five cuts ties with Uber Easts after fee hike - RestBus

BK Updates "Reclaim the Flame"

Moving away from creepy king mascot - Nations Restaurant News 

Here's the 90-second commercial BK ran during the Oscars - YouTube

"Fake News" Problems for Restaurants

For restaurants fake news is becoming a real problem - RestBusiness

Who's More Famous - the Big Arch or PJB?

This editorial from QSR magazine discusses how a brand's CEO might be a plus or a minus on social media.

The problem at McDonald's is that PJB is not content with being in charge of the world's largest restaurant chain. 

He's not satisfied with being one of the wealthiest people in the restaurant industry.

Nope, he's driven by a desire for "celebrity". 

Will he get his way? Who's going to stop him? 

Will the bobbleheads in the corporate office tell him he's not that funny?

Will the advertising people tell the emperor that he's not entertaining?

In a desperate quest for more and more "celebrity," a bureaucrat often puts aside logic and makes emotional decisions that don't belong in the corporate boardroom.

The real lesson behind McDonald's social media backlash - QSR Mag

.

Former MCD O/O and Congressman in Race for U.S. Senate

International Franchise Association endorses Kevin Hern for Senate

Are "Clicks" Advertising?

From @McFranchisee on X (formerly Twitter) 

Mar 2

This video will probably get half a billion views, worth millions in free advertising. It’s like getting a Super Bowl commercial for free. I bet @McDonalds will sell at the high end of the range because of this.

It officially drops tomorrow. BTW, can’t wait to see Chris’s next video.

@McFranchisee  Mar 4

Big Arch - Chris K - CEO Video

Love it, hate it, call it cringe, or just scroll past - this thing blew up bigger than the Golden Arches themselves. It went global. Even our competitors had to respond. Probably the most unintentionally viral moment in 

@McDonalds history, out-meming even the Evil Grimace saga.

Yes, most of the hot takes roasting Chris were off-base, but the facts are: we have sold a SERIOUS amount Big Arch Burgers because of it. He’s probably grinning ear to ear with a mouth full of product right now, thanks to the massive free advertising for the burger he actually created. Sometimes the best “marketing” is the kind nobody planned.