McDonald's vs Restaurant Brands: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: McDonald's and Restaurant Brands side by side

1. 1940McDonald's

   First McDonald's Opens in San Bernardino

   Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's restaurant on May 15, 1940 in San Bernardino, California. The original drive-in gave the brothers a live operating laboratory before they stripped the model down to a faster, lower-cost menu.

2. 1948McDonald's

   Speedee Service System Introduced

   The brothers simplified operations in 1948 around 15-cent hamburgers, shakes, and fries.

3. 1954Restaurant Brands

   Burger King is founded

   James McLamore and David Edgerton founded Burger King in Miami, creating the flame-grilled burger brand later owned by RBI.

4. 1955McDonald's

   Ray Kroc Opens Des Plaines Restaurant

   Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois on April 15, 1955 after becoming the brothers' franchise agent. That restaurant became the base for converting a California operating idea into a national franchise system.

5. 1961McDonald's

   Hamburger University Opens

   Hamburger University opened in the basement of an Elk Grove Village, Illinois restaurant in 1961. The training program mattered because it formalized the standards and operating routines that franchisees needed to deliver a consistent experience.

6. 1961McDonald's

   Kroc Buys the Brothers' Company

   McDonald's says it acquired the rights to the brothers' company in 1961 for $2.7 million. The deal gave Kroc control of the name and system, setting up the real estate-backed franchise model that later defined parent-company economics.

7. 1964Restaurant Brands

   Tim Hortons begins

   Tim Horton and Ron Joyce built the Canadian coffee and quick-service brand that later became central to RBI.

8. 1968McDonald's

   Big Mac Added to National Menu

   The Big Mac, developed by owner-operator Jim Delligatti of Pittsburgh, was added to the national menu in 1968. It became a durable core product and a recognizable signal of the company's ability to turn franchisee ideas into systemwide menu platforms.

9. 1972Restaurant Brands

   Popeyes is founded

   Al Copeland opened the Louisiana-style chicken brand that RBI acquired in 2017.

10. 1975McDonald's

    Egg McMuffin Builds Breakfast

    The Egg McMuffin, created by owner-operator Herb Peterson of Santa Barbara, California, was added to the national menu in 1975. It helped turn breakfast into a major daypart rather than leaving the restaurants dependent on lunch and dinner traffic.

11. 2014Restaurant Brands

    Restaurant Brands International is formed

    Burger King and Tim Hortons combined to form Restaurant Brands International as a multi-brand quick-service restaurant platform.

12. 2017McDonald's

    Global McDelivery Day with UberEATS

    McDonald's marked Global McDelivery Day in 2017 to support the broader launch of McDelivery with UberEATS. Delivery expanded restaurant reach beyond the counter and drive-thru, while also adding packaging, marketplace-fee, and kitchen-throughput challenges.

13. 2017Restaurant Brands

    Popeyes joins RBI

    RBI acquired Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, adding a global chicken growth platform.

14. 2019McDonald's

    Dynamic Yield Acquisition

    McDonald's agreed to acquire Dynamic Yield in 2019 to personalize drive-thru menu boards, kiosks, and app experiences using signals such as time of day, weather, restaurant traffic, and trending items.

15. 2021Restaurant Brands

    RBI agrees to acquire Firehouse Subs

    RBI announced the Firehouse Subs acquisition for $1.0 billion, adding a fourth brand to the platform.

16. 2023Restaurant Brands

    Joshua Kobza becomes CEO

    Joshua Kobza became CEO effective March 1, 2023, succeeding Jose Cil.

17. 2024McDonald's

    Quarter Pounder E. Coli Outbreak

    U.S. Public health agencies linked a 2024 E. Coli outbreak to slivered onions served on McDonald's Quarter Pounders in affected states.

18. 2024Restaurant Brands

    Carrols acquisition closes

    Burger King completed the acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group for about $1.0 billion to remodel and refranchise a large U.S. Burger King portfolio.

19. 2025McDonald's

    $26.9B FY2025 Revenue

    McDonald's reported $26.885 billion in FY2025 revenue and $8.563 billion in net income.

20. 2025Restaurant Brands

    System-wide sales grow 5.3%

    RBI reported FY2025 total revenues of $9.434 billion and consolidated system-wide sales growth of 5.3%.

21. 2025Restaurant Brands

    Burger King China joint venture announced

    RBI and CPE announced a China joint venture with $350 million of primary capital and a plan to grow Burger King China to more than 4,000 restaurants by 2035.

22. 2026Restaurant Brands

    Investor Day reaffirms 2028 targets

    RBI reaffirmed 8%+ organic AOI growth and 5%+ net restaurant growth by 2028.

23. 2026Restaurant Brands

    Q2 2026: Burger King U.S. comps up 8.5%

    System-wide sales grew 6.4% and revenue rose 4.5% to about $2.52 billion.

Acquisitions

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