McDonald's Plans $8.5 Billion in Franchisee Support Under New Growth Strategy

09:02 AM EDT, 09/23/2026 (MT Newswires) -- McDonald's (MCD) said Wednesday it plans to provide $8.5 billion in support to franchisees through 2036 to accelerate restaurant modernization, technology deployment and operational improvements. Unveiling its NEXT strategy, the fast-food giant said it will provide about about $5 billion of that amount through 2030, through a combination of rent relief and capital support. McDonald's said it expects unit expansion to contribute nearly 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027, moderating to about 2% by 2030. The company is also targeting a low-to-mid-50% operating margin and mid-to-high-80% free cash flow conversion by 2030, along with about 250 basis points of restaurant-level efficiency gains. McDonald's shares were 0.7% higher in premarket trading.