Who got your $5 burger?

Follow $5 of your burger at a McDonald's the company runs itself. Then the twist: it runs only about one in twenty of its restaurants.

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If you only read one thing

73¢

The restaurant keeps this much of every $5.10-K FY2025 · MD&A, restaurant margins

$1.55

Food and paper.10-K FY2025 · Consolidated statement of income

$1.50

The crew.10-K FY2025 · Consolidated statement of income

Your $5, line by line

Check our work

Number	How we got it	Source
$1.55	Food and paper: food and paper $3,006M ÷ $9,690M × $5	10-K FY2025 · consolidated statement of income
$1.50	The crew: payroll and employee benefits $2,905M ÷ $9,690M × $5	10-K FY2025 · consolidated statement of income
$1.22	The building and running it: occupancy and other operating expenses $2,358M ÷ $9,690M × $5	10-K FY2025 · consolidated statement of income
73¢	The restaurant keeps: company-owned and operated margin $1,422M ÷ $9,690M × $5	10-K FY2025 · md&a, restaurant margins

What the numbers are. Of every $5 a company-run McDonald's takes in. Fiscal 2025 10-K, restaurant level, before head office (our arithmetic).

The filing behind the story

McDonald's Corporation, Form 10-K, fiscal 2025 (filed 24 Feb 2026)

Corrections. None so far. If we get a number wrong, the fix goes here and in a pinned comment on the video.

The last word

See it for yourself.

Don't trust the headline, or the hot take, or even us. Every number in this story is in McDonald's own annual report. Open it and check.