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A new account traces the origins of McDonald's to brothers Maurice ('Mac') and Richard McDonald, who left Manchester, New Hampshire, for California in the 1920s after watching their father lose his factory job. Inspired by the state's orange-juice stands and roadside food culture, the brothers eventually built their own food business that would evolve into the McDonald's chain.
McDonald's will bring back Pokemon-themed Happy Meals at participating US locations starting Nov. 10, each including one of 15 collectible toys and two of 15 Pokemon cards. The meals come with standard options like hamburger or chicken nuggets, fries, apple slices and a drink, plus a QR code linking to a digital Pokemon-finding game. McDonald's says the promotion runs while supplies last.
McDonald's is preparing to roll out a holiday-themed menu in the coming days, well ahead of Halloween, featuring a lineup of seasonal beverages alongside meal deals. The drinks are positioned to compete with the festive beverage offerings Starbucks releases each year.
McDonald's is rolling out its largest-ever training initiative, teaching all 2 million of its restaurant workers worldwide to recognize quality standards, including tasting the difference between a correctly made Big Mac and a substandard one. Chief People Officer Tiffanie Boyd said the program is part of the company's broader 'Next' strategy, which also covers store remodels, AI adoption and new menu items for GLP-1 drug users. In the U.S., some restaurant inspections have been replaced with coaching visits running through next March, prioritizing taste and quality before shift management and hospitality.
McDonald's has confirmed the McRib, its boneless pork sandwich topped with barbecue sauce, onions and pickles, is returning to menus in select U.S. cities this week on a limited basis. A crowd-sourced locator map is being used to help customers find participating restaurants carrying the item.
JPMorgan Chase's third-quarter results fell short of Wall Street's revenue and profit estimates, an unusual miss for the largest U.S. bank by assets. CEO Jamie Dimon attributed part of the shortfall to softer fixed-income trading revenue and expenses outpacing revenue, while the bank also said trading and investment banking activity had moderated. JPMorgan shares dropped more than 3% in premarket trading before trimming losses after the bank raised its 2026 net interest income guidance.
Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy told Restaurant Business he welcomes growing competition in the chicken segment, including McDonald's new push to gain 1.5 points of chicken market share by 2030 as part of an $8.5 billion modernization plan. Technomic data cited in the report shows chicken chains grew 5.3% in sales in 2025, outpacing the broader restaurant industry's 3% growth and burger chains' 1.5%. Cathy said his focus remains on order accuracy, food quality and hospitality, and that Chick-fil-A has no plans to replace human order takers with AI.
Walmart has publicly denied that its digital shelf labels and newly patented dynamic AI pricing technology will charge customers differently based on personal data, with CEO John Furner stating income, shopping history or urgency won't affect prices. McDonald's has separately faced media scrutiny over AI systems tied to price variation across locations, calling the coverage 'speculative and misinformed.' Both companies' practices are drawing attention amid broader debate over surveillance pricing involving lawmakers and the FTC.
Reuters reports that McDonald's has used an AI pricing tool since 2019 that analyzes transaction data from nearly 14,000 restaurants plus competitor pricing, such as Wendy's online menus, to recommend menu prices based on local customers' willingness to pay. Franchise owners told Reuters the system has produced price gaps of over 20% between nearby stores, and that the company calls franchisees to question deviations from recommended prices, despite stating that following the algorithm is optional.
Major chains including McDonald's, Dunkin' and Starbucks have been revising their loyalty programs in ways that reduce the value customers can extract from accumulated points, according to reporting on what is being called a 'great rewards overhaul' in 2026. One example cited involves a Dunkin' customer who let points accumulate for five years without redeeming them, illustrating how program structures can leave long-term users holding devalued rewards.
McDonald's is using an AI-driven pricing platform that suggests menu prices for individual franchise locations based on local customers' willingness to pay, according to Reuters. The system tracks whether franchisees deviate from its recommendations, and researchers found a Big Mac priced 21% higher at one Fresno store than another just two miles away. McDonald's says the tool offers recommendations rather than mandates and called the reporting 'speculative and uninformed.'
Reuters reports that McDonald's has deployed AI-based dynamic pricing tools across US and some global franchise locations, adjusting menu prices based on local 'customer willingness to pay.' Documents reviewed by Reuters show a Big Mac priced $5.69 at one Fresno store and $6.89 at another two miles away, and McDonald's now requires franchisees to 'constructively engage' with its approved pricing tools while tracking deviations from algorithmic recommendations.