The restaurant chain is targeting operating margins in the low-to-mid 50% range by 2030 as it pushes for greater efficiency across its system. Under its new "McDonald’s > NEXT" strategy, the company is allocating $8.5B for franchisee support through 2036, with $5B spent by 2030 on modernization and technology. These upgrades aim for 250 bps in efficiency gains, which would provide the average U.S. restaurant with about $100,000 in annual cash flow benefits. Additional 2030 targets include a 1.5 percentage point increase in market share for both chicken and beverages and mid-to-high 80% free cash flow conversion, while the rollout of GenAI-powered ArchIQ is underway.

The growth push comes as U.S. sales were slightly negative in August and are expected to remain so for the third quarter, with the CEO warning that high inflation and flat traffic are persistent industry issues. McDonald's is shifting focus toward chicken to attract diners amid soaring beef prices. The company's shares fell 5.2% on Tuesday, extending a six-month decline of 22.2%, though it expects unit expansion to add nearly 2.5% to systemwide sales growth in 2027.