McDonald's announces $8.5 billion investment in franchise network

McDonald's has announced plans to invest $8.5 billion by 2036 in developing its franchise business. The plan covers restaurant refurbishments, additional staff training and new menu items. For Croatia’s franchise community, the news raises questions about how major networks support their partners, but the available source specifies neither investment nor timelines for Croatia.

What the announced plan covers

According to an article published by Poslovni dnevnik on 25 September 2026, citing CNN, McDonald's unveiled a multi-year investment programme the previous week. The announced total of $8.5 billion covers the period up to 2036, so it should not be interpreted as a one-off investment or a budget for a single financial year.

The stated priorities include restaurant refurbishments, additional training for two million employees and new menu items aimed at consumers seeking more protein in their diets. The announcement therefore links improvements to premises with staff development and changes to the menu.

Poslovni dnevnik places the investment in the context of growing competition in fast food and McDonald's efforts to strengthen its leading position. However, the available information does not detail individual refurbishment projects, training content or specific products. The announcement therefore does not establish what changes customers will see at any particular restaurant, or when those changes might reach individual markets.

Five billion dollars in the initial phase

Around $5 billion is expected to be spent over the next three and a half years. According to the reported information, this part of the plan combines capital support for franchise partners with rent relief. This is an important distinction from a general investment announcement: specific forms of support for partners have also been identified.

Capital support and rent relief are two different forms of financial assistance. However, the available source does not provide a breakdown of their respective values, eligibility criteria or a list of markets where they will apply. Nor does it explain how the total funding will be distributed among partners. Without these details, it is not possible to calculate the benefit for an individual franchisee.

Two timeframes therefore matter when tracking implementation: the overall plan running to 2036 and the initial three-and-a-half-year period. The amount announced for the initial phase forms part of the overall programme; it is not a separate investment to be added to the $8.5 billion total. Reading the figures this way avoids overstating the scale of the announced plan.

Franchise partners at the heart of a large network

At the end of 2025, the McDonald's system comprised 45,356 restaurants in more than 100 countries. Around 95 per cent of its restaurants were franchised. These figures show how important the franchise model is to the network covered by the announcement.

With such a high proportion of franchised restaurants, relationships with partners are central to this news. The announced programme is described not only in terms of investment in premises and menus, but also through financial support mechanisms for franchise partners. For the franchise community, it is a relevant example of linking brand development with support for those who run the restaurants.

However, the restaurant count and franchise share indicate the system’s scale and structure, not the results of the announced programme. They do not, in themselves, show how much sales will grow, how many locations will be refurbished or whether the investment will lead to new openings. The available source does not confirm such outcomes.

What this means for those considering Croatia’s franchise market

For readers assessing the Croatian market, the key distinction is between a global announcement and a locally confirmed project. The available research contains no information on Croatia’s share of the investment, refurbishments at specific Croatian restaurants or the terms of support in the Croatian market. Nor does it provide local timelines for menu changes.

The news should therefore be read as an international development relevant to understanding franchising, rather than confirmation of an investment programme in Croatia. For entrepreneurs considering a franchise in the country, it can provide a starting point for more precise questions about support within any network: who funds refurbishments, what training is available, and whether financial concessions exist and on what terms.

These questions do not confirm that any particular benefit is available in Croatia. Their purpose is to distinguish a brand’s broad development message from an individual partner’s rights and obligations. Practical takeaway: global investment figures are worth following, but business decisions should be based on confirmed local terms, timelines and contractually defined support.