Almost as iconic as its golden arches, McDonald’s also posted signs in front of many of its establishments declaring how many burgers it has sold, peaking at “Over 99 Billion Sold” in 1994 and no longer updating its sign. Since then, the company has sold roughly 2.365 billion burgers a year, which, when added to the initial 99 billion in 1994, equates to roughly 154 billion.
How did the fast food chain arrive at this number? Back in 2010, Dine Indie blog reported that a McDonald’s employee manual claimed “more than 75 hamburgers per second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day of the year” are sold. With there being 1.536 million seconds in a year, that’s where the average number of burgers per year comes from.
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Another interesting component of the burger tracking by McDonald’s is that, when the first restaurant opened, a sign was placed out front reading “Hamburgers. We have sold over 15 million.” That’s a staggering number for a burger joint in Illinois in 1955, but it was all a marketing ploy by Ray Kroc.
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When the mind behind the franchise teamed up with Dick and Mac McDonald, he took into account all the burgers they sold before the restaurant opened, allowing for a more exorbitant number.
According to the McDonald’s website, it was only three years later that the franchise had sold its 100 millionth burger.
The fast food chain might have stopped updating the publicly posted number in April of 1994, but it’s unclear of they have continued to track burgers sold in the years since, as they declined to comment on burger tracking.
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That massive yearly number might be on the decline, as Americans have become more health-conscious in recent years, causing the notoriously unhealthy fast food chain to see a drastic decline in their business.
PBS reports that Americans eat roughly three burgers a week for their meals, but with McDonald’s locations closing and chains like Five Guys and Shake Shack growing more popular, this once reigning corporation is facing its stiffest competition.
The competition has forced the fast food chain to get more creative with their menu offerings, attempting to craft “signature” burgers that mirror items served in high-end restaurants in addition to offering modified versions of their well-known staples.
[H/T Marketplace, Photo Credit: Instagram / @mcdonalds]
