McDonald's plans to spend roughly $8.5 billion to support its franchisees over the next decade, funding restaurant modernization, operational improvements and a menu rethink aimed at higher-protein options and more flexible portion sizes, and its shares fell 6% in afternoon trading after the spending was announced. The menu changes are part of that broader makeover, with McDonald's USA President saying during the company's Investor Day that customers want food that leaves them feeling satisfied without feeling like too much, and executive vice president and global chief restaurant experience officer Jill McDonald saying the chain is looking to add more choice in beef for those seeking more flexibility in portion sizes, such as a burger bowl. The push comes as about 11% of U.S. adults said they were using a GLP-1 medication for weight loss in 2026, up from just 3% in 2024 according to Gallup, and as the U.S. wellness economy reached roughly $2.1 trillion in 2024, the largest in the world according to the Global Wellness Institute. Rival Burger King has committed up to $700 million through 2028 to its Reclaim the Flame turnaround plan and reported comparable-sales growth of 8.5% in the second quarter of 2026, while McDonald's carried roughly $40 billion in debt at the end of 2025 and returned about $7.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks that year. McDonald's said chicken is now a nearly $130 billion category growing more than 5% a year, with Chicken McNuggets alone accounting for nearly $15 billion in annual systemwide sales.
McDonald’s CorporationMcDonald's will spend roughly $8.5 billion over a decade on franchisee support, restaurant modernization and a menu overhaul, and shares fell 6% on the announcement.
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