U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025, legislation that would require contractors to provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with access to technical data and materials the military needs to repair and maintain its own equipment.
McDonald’s was happy to do it because they’re not really in the restaurant owning business. They force their franchisees to use the exact ice cream machine they get paid by Taylor to enforce. It’s a literal racket
Now the military part… Yeah, that’s fucked up, I always thought Uncle Sam got the right to repair their own shit but apparently not.
mcdonalds is a real estate bussiness
I think that’s just in the US. They also have franchisees elsewhere that still have to pay for the franchise rights. They’re for sure not in the restaurant business though, at least not big time. That’s risky and costly so the franchisees get to take that risk.
At least in the US, most (all?) stores are still franchises, but the property is owned by McDonalds. Basically, a franchise owner rents the building in much the same way that they rent the ice cream machine. Franchise ownership just means you get the right to run a particular building and make whatever the agreed-upon cut is.