Do we like McDonald's?
Global burger and fast-food chain, mostly run by franchisees. Based in Chicago, USA.
Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. It's a huge, well-run business that gives to charity and has cut some plastic. Franchise worker complaints and ongoing legal fights hold it back.
McDonald's is run by Chris Kempczinski, who became CEO in 2019 and chair in 2024. He came up through P&G, PepsiCo and Kraft. He also sits on the Ronald McDonald House Charities board. He is very active on social media, and recently told investors that high inflation and flat traffic are now just 'the environment'.
The big recurring drama is workers. In 2019 CBS reported 25 claims and lawsuits from workers alleging sexual harassment, with watchdogs saying McDonald's doesn't enforce its policies. McDonald's says it has policies and training. The US labour board also ruled in 2019 that McDonald's isn't liable for franchisees' labour practices. Most restaurants are franchised, so who is responsible is the crux.
Courts are busy with it too. On 30 October a federal judge let a class action over the McRib go ahead. Customers say it has no rib meat. McDonald's calls the claims meritless. The ruling doesn't decide who is right. In 2025 it settled Byron Allen's $10bn discrimination suit over its advertising, and Allen said McDonald's would keep buying ads from his company.
On the plus side, McDonald's says it cut virgin fossil-fuel plastic in Happy Meal toys by about 80% from 2018 to 2024. It also has a 2030 target to cut emissions 36% from a 2015 baseline. Beef is the hard part: Fast Company noted how big beef's carbon footprint is. McDonald's Canada says its McHappy Day raised over $10.8m for children's charities this year.
So we land at a five. It does real good and is more open than many rivals. But a franchise model that keeps pushing workplace problems down the line, plus legal trouble that isn't going away, means we wouldn't call it a company we'd happily hand our money to.