Fast-food behemoth McDonald's is cooking up a massive expansion plan with the addition of nearly 10,000 new restaurants globally within the next four years, embarking on what is dubbed an unparalleled growth spurt for the chain. Setting its sights on a grand total of 50,000 locations by the end of 2027, the golden arches are looking to deepen their footprint from the current count of 40,275 eateries, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The company made the announcement in the lead-up to its investor event scheduled for Wednesday.

Not to be outdone, other national giants like Starbucks are also in an expansionary mode, with the coffee chain planning to boost its presence to 55,000 stores worldwide by 2030, according to a previous statement. In what could be seen as a technological leg-up for a fast-food giant, McDonald's has partnered with Google Cloud to streamline its operations and ease the workload on employees, a development first noted by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Despite a slight dip in U.S. foot traffic, McDonald's third-quarter same-store sales saw a healthy climb of nearly 9% across the globe. Seemingly, the focus remains on their bestselling items such as Quarter Pounders and fries, which, according to McDonald’s, make up 65% of systemwide sales. In an effort to keep appealing to various palates, the chain is revising its burger recipe for softer buns, meltier cheese, and an extra dollop of Big Mac sauce, set to hit U.S. menus by the end of 2024 and other major markets by the end of 2025, KIRO 7 reported.

With the evolving tastes of consumers, Ronald McDonald's empire has acknowledged that chicken is now as popular as beef in their establishments. As part of its wider strategy, the franchise is gearing up to launch its McCrispy sandwich almost ubiquitously by 2025, the Chicago Sun-Times disclosed. While the company prepares to dish out more details at Wednesday's investor showcase, fans of the chain can expect a revamped menu that's banking on both tradition and innovation to fuel its aggressive growth.