Article
McDonald's moves HQ to Chicago's trendy former meatpacking district
McDonald's is is moving its HQ to downtown Chicago's former meatpacking district.
June 13, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
Like many of the millennials it serves, McDonald's is also moving back to the urban core in 2018, according to a company news release. The move — by the brand's corporate headquarters from the suburbs back to a trendy downtown Chicago culinary neighborhood — will actually be to the site of the old Harpo Productions property in West Loop, where Oprah Winfrey produced her show. Most of the Art Deco property there now will be destroyed to build the company's new corporate headquarters, which are now located about 40 minutes west of the nation's third-largest city, in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook. The new location in West Loop is — perhaps fittingly — the home of the Windy City's former stockyards and renowned meatpacking district. And the move may seem a little like déjà vu to those who were around in the middle part of the twentieth century. That's because from 1955 to 1971, around the time of the chain's birth, McDonald's also had its headquarters in the center city, according to a news release. Nonetheless, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook said this coming move is very much about the future of the brand and its employees.
"We are a brand on the move in more ways than one," said Easterbrook. "Moving our headquarters to Chicago is another significant step in our journey to build a better McDonald's. This world-class environment will continue to drive business momentum by getting us even closer to customers, encouraging innovation and ensuring great talent is excited about where they work."
Easterbrook said McDonald's will transform the Randolph Street space into a modern setting that fosters collaboration and connectivity. It's a good place to do that, too, in that West Loop has become a magnet for culinary ventures in and around the Fulton Market there.
"McDonald's looks forward to returning to the Chicago community where we started and to building together the next chapter of success in the history of this great company," said McDonald's Board Chairman Rick Hernandez. "Today's announcement is about more than just a new location for us. It is an important investment in our people as we look to create a state-of-the-art company headquarters they can use to move our business forward for many years to come."
McDonald's famous Hamburger University -- one of seven worldwide – will also move with the corporate offices into what a press release said will be a state-of-the-art learning center for future leaders and employees.
"McDonald's, welcome back to sweet home Chicago," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. "McDonald's has identified the keys to success to today's global market, talent, technology, and access to transportation networks, and they recognize these as Chicago's strengths. I'm proud to welcome them to our dynamic city."
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
