The Business Cultre Differences Between North America and China: McDonald's Introduction In 1954, fifty-two year old Ray Kroc, exclusive distributor of the Multimixer milkshake mixer, approached Dick and Mac McDonald, owners of the single hamburger stand located in California, called McDonald’s (McDonald’s Corporation, 2004). Impressed by the stand’s fast service, Croc encouraged the brothers McDonald to open up several restaurants, and in 1955, Kroc succeeded in opening the second restaurant in Des Moines, earning just over three-hundred and sixty dollars on its first day (McDonald’s Corporation, 2004). Forty-six years later, the McDonald’s corporation opened its thirty thousandth restaurant (Adbrands.net, 2004) and reported a six per cent increase in global sales results to over $10.1 billion in the fourth quarter of that same year of 2001 (PR Newswire, 2002). Currently, the restaurant chain is the world’s largest (Agence France Presse, 2004). Throughout the years, McDonald’s restaurants have evolved from simple hamburger and milkshake stands to family destination places offering a wide-ranging menu which offers “healthy lifestyle choices” (McDonald’s Corporation) and extensive kid’s meal line, along with the traditional favourites. The McDonald’s Big Mac brand name Pages: 10 Bibliography: 6 source(s) listed Filename: 23057 3045.doc Price: 89.50