McDonald’s plans to allocate up to $8.5 billion to restaurant upgrades — CNBC
McDonald’s in the United States has announced a plan to support franchisees and modernize restaurants as part of its McDonald’s > NEXT strategy. By 2036, the company plans to allocate up to $8.5 billion to accelerate franchisee investments in restaurant upgrades, including through rent incentives and direct funding, CNBC reports.
Restaurant and technology upgrades
McDonald’s is expected to allocate about $5 billion of the planned amount by 2030. In 2027–2030, the company forecasts $1.5–2 billion in capital expenditures to accelerate the NEXT program, in addition to approximately $3 billion in regular annual capital expenditures. In 2025, the chain’s capital expenditures totaled $3.4 billion.
The Restaurant > NEXT program provides for upgrades to equipment, technology and operational processes. It will also include ArchIQ, an artificial intelligence-based operating system for restaurants. McDonald’s typically requires franchisees to renovate restaurants approximately once every 10 years.
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The company expects that improved efficiency will provide the average McDonald’s restaurant in the United States with about $100,000 in additional annual cash flow. It estimates that franchisee investments in the initiative could pay off in approximately four years.
Financial targets and staff training
By 2030, McDonald’s aims to raise its operating margin to the lower-to-mid-50% range. In 2025, the company’s operating margin was 46.1%. Part of the improvement is planned to come from reducing general and administrative expenses: their share of system sales is intended to fall to 1.9% in 2030, compared with a projected 2.2% in 2026.
The chain also plans to expand sales of chicken and beverages, increasing its global market share in each of these categories by about 1.5 percentage points by 2030. To maintain its position in the beef segment, McDonald’s will begin rolling out the multiyear Make It Golden employee training program on October 5. It is intended to ensure consistency, improve food quality and enhance customer service.
