McDonald’s is going all in on this country with 50 new stores | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

In the 85 years that passed since Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald’s (MCD) restaurant out of San Bernardino, Calif., in 1940, what started out as a small drive-thru stop evolved into a global empire and the world’s most iconic burger restaurant.

As of 2024, the chain had over 41,000 locations in more than 119 countries. Rare nations without a McDonald’s include Iceland, Bermuda, Bolivia, Iran, Cambodia, and, after the chain pulled out of the country over its invasion of Ukraine, Russia.

While the United States and Canada are the countries with the largest numbers of McDonald’s with a respective 13,548 and 1,489 locations, the non-North American nation to come closest is Australia. As of May 2025, the country had 1,053 locations.

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McDonald’s to find ‘restaurant gaps’ across Australia, open dozens of new stores

In an interview with local news outlets, McDonald’s Australia CEO Joe Chiczewski said the chain plans to open between 30 and 50 new locations across the country by the end of 2026.

“We’re going to open more restaurants over the next 12 months,” Chiczewski told News.com.au, adding that the goal is to find “restaurant gaps” in different parts of the country. “That is a key priority for our growth strategy. Not just the next 12 months, but over the next few years.”

Chiczewski added that the chain is setting its sights on Perth in the western part of the country and framed it as “continuing to invest in the Aussie community.”

At the start of July, McDonald’s Australia announced that it will lock in the prices of certain meal deals and items on its Loose Change Menu at a respective $7 ($4.55 USD) and $4 ($2.60 USD), as many customers expressed concerns with the rising cost of living.

In announcing the upcoming openings, Chiczewski also said the higher demand is fueled by customers choosing to forgo traditional restaurants due to expense.

“My commitment to Australian customers is clear: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, you can count on us for great value at Macca’s,” he said further.

McDonald’s “Mood Engine” concept was launched to celebrate 50 years of operating in Hong Kong.

Image source&colon; Landini Associates

As McDonald’s Australia expands, other countries lean into new concept

Over in Hong Kong, McDonald’s recently renovated the iconic location at the country’s busiest Admiralty Station train interchange station to celebrate 50 years of operating in the Chinese administrative region.

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The renovation also served as the launch of the new “Mood Engine” concept that will eventually be expanded to more locations across Hong Kong — a 72-foot screen that features different lights and well-known McDonald’s characters like Ronald McDonald and the McBurglar to welcome guests and shift the tone as the time passes from day to night.

“As customers rise from the station below, they’re welcomed by a reflective double-canopy entrance — a contemporary homage to McDonald’s original roofline and a nod to Ray Kroc’s classic design,” the chain said in announcing the new concept. “Now framed by glowing feature walls in McDonald’s signature yellow, aimed at creating an unmissable beacon — just like the earliest restaurants once were.”