McDonald's plans to expand its restaurant count to approximately 9,000 and increase its loyalty membership to 100 million by the year 2027.

• McDonald's plans to increase its capital expenditures and open more new restaurants while aiming to enroll 100 million more members in its loyalty program in order to boost its worldwide sales.

The company aims to expand its presence by opening over 8,800 new locations and increasing its loyalty program membership to 100 million by 2027.

The fast-food giant aims to increase sales through its long-term plans that involve expanding its restaurant network.

McDonald's has announced its new goals for its investor day on Wednesday, aiming to convince shareholders that customers' demand for its Big Macs and McNuggets is still increasing, despite concerns about the economy and the impact of weight-loss drugs. The burger chain plans to reveal more information on its strategies for attracting customers, including improving its burgers and increasing its focus on chicken.

McDonald's expects to add 4% new restaurants in 2024, with nearly 2% of its systemwide sales growth in constant currency coming from expanding its footprint.

The company intends to increase its restaurant count by 4% to 5% annually after 2024, with the new locations contributing approximately 2.5% of systemwide sales growth in constant currency.

McDonald's plans to invest more money in development, resulting in increased capital spending. The company anticipates $2.5 billion in capital expenditures in 2024, up from its previous expectation of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion in 2023. Additionally, McDonald's expects to increase its capital expenditures by $300 million to $500 million annually from 2025 to 2027.

McDonald's aims to have 50,000 locations globally by 2027, with 41,198 restaurants worldwide as of Sept. 30. In comparison, November announced it plans to reach 55,000 cafes worldwide by 2030, up from its current count of over 38,000.

McDonald's aims to open 900 U.S. locations, 1,900 restaurants in its international operated markets segment, and approximately 7,000 units in its international developmental licensed markets division to achieve its development target.

Nearly half of the company's revenue comes from its IOM business in markets such as France, Canada, and Australia.

McDonald's IDL segment will have more than half of its new locations in China, as the company recently bought back a minority stake in its China business, which has over 5,500 restaurants.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski stated that China has the potential to become the largest market for the company globally, with no reason why it cannot have between 20,000 to 25,000 stores or restaurants.

Executives have stated that the company's current location does not match where consumers currently reside, particularly the increasing trend towards the South and Southeast regions in the U.S.

Kempczinski announced in a broader statement about corporate restructuring that the company would accelerate new restaurant development. This is the first time the company has disclosed its new development targets.

The company's expansion will include more than just opening new flagship restaurants. It will also test 10 locations of a spinoff brand, CosMc's, by the end of 2024. The first location will open this week in Illinois.

McDonald's aims to have 250 million active members in its loyalty program by 2027, despite initially testing it in the U.S. at its last investor day in 2020. Since then, the program has grown significantly, increasing mobile sales and customer return frequency.

McDonald's is focusing on its loyalty program as marketers anticipate a future without third-party customer data, according to Morgan Flatley, McDonald's global chief marketing officer and executive vice president of new business ventures. To prepare for this future, McDonald's is introducing new ways to earn points, such as watching sports games on its app, and perks like transferring points to family and friends. Through its own mobile app, McDonald's aims to collect and rely solely on its own data.

On Wednesday, McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger informed investors that in the future, data will be a crucial competitive advantage alongside restaurant locations.

McDonald's has partnered with Google Cloud to enhance its restaurant operations through the use of artificial intelligence.

Sundar Pichai, Alphabet CEO, stated that they are thrilled to see how McDonald's will utilize their generative AI, cloud, and edge computing tools to enhance their renowned dining experience for their employees and customers worldwide.

The new restaurant openings are reflected in McDonald's systemwide sales projections.