Golden Arches Development Corp. (GADC), led by its founder George Yang, signed another 20-year franchise agreement with McDonald’s.
The new license term, valid until 2045, grants GADC the rights to own, develop and operate restaurants as well as engage in sub-franchising of McDonald’s locations in the Philippines.
Yang, along with his son, Kenneth Yang, signed the renewal which guarantees the continued growth of McDonald’s in the Philippines.
Eighty-year-old George Yang reminisced about the early days of building the business, saying, “In the late 1970s, when I applied for the franchise, McDonald’s asked me how many branches I planned to open. I confidently replied, 10.”
Today, GADC operates 792 McDonald’s branches across the country, with plans to reach 800 by the end of 2025, making the Philippines one of McDonald’s fastest-growing markets.
In 1986, Yang introduced localized menu items like Chicken McDo and McSpaghetti, diverging from McDonald’s traditional international offerings.
The products now account for 35 percent of total sales, with recent additions such as an upgraded hamburger and a larger, crispier fried chicken.
Looking forward, Yang emphasized plans to expand McDonald’s further into emerging markets outside Metro Manila over the next two decades.
“We’re excited to open more stores and bring McDonald’s closer to more Filipinos,” Yang said.