Is McDonald's Open on Thanksgiving 2023?

Is McDonald's open on Thanksgiving? With the holiday resulting in the closure of several chain restaurants and grocery stores alike, many roadtrippers looking for a quick meal are wondering as much. As it turns out, it's more than likely that a McDonald's by you is open — but you may want to call ahead before driving over.

"Ninety-five percent of McDonald's restaurants are independently owned and operated, so the holiday business hours will vary by location," a representative from McDonald's previously told Country Living. "The best way to determine hours for your local McDonald's is to call ahead of your visit to confirm their hours." You can find your local McDonald's and its restaurant hours via the company's store locator. Each location has its hours listed.

Other restaurants open on Thanksgiving include Cracker Barrel, Starbucks, Dunkin', Taco Bell, Burger King, Popeyes, Waffle House — though many of those vary by location, so you should double-check before heading over. Restaurants closed on Thanksgiving include Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, Chili's, PF Chang's, most Buffalo Wild Wings locations, Texas Roadhouse, and Red Robin.

While many chain restaurants and fast-food chains will stay open for Thanksgiving, more and more retail stores are making the decision to close on the holiday in order to give their employees time to celebrate with their families before the mad dash of Black Friday and holiday sales begin. Among those retailers are Walmart and Target, with both closing their stores for the fourth year in a row.

"Once again, we'll be closing our stores for Thanksgiving this year," Walmart's CEO, John Furner, announced in a video shared by Walmart on Oct. 9. "Thanksgiving is such a special day during a very busy season. We want you to spend that day at home with family and loved ones. Whether it's eating a great meal, watching some football, or whatever your traditions are. We all have so much to be thankful for this year, and I'm especially thankful for the opportunity to work with you."

Target closed its stores in 2020 due to COVID protocols and hasn't looked back since. "We also closed our stores on Thanksgiving Day (in 2020) in order to minimize crowds and help our guests take the stress out of getting the best deals of the season. The response was so positive that we'll carry it forward this year, keeping our Target stores closed all day long on Thanksgiving Day," the company announced in 2021. "This is just one example of how our evolving strategy is meeting the needs of our business and our guests."