McDonald's puts customers, employees, suppliers, and industry partners first and continues to invest and engage in the communities in which it operates. In 2023, the company opened six new restaurants, ensuring quality service and the best experience possible. McDonald's has also made training and professional development opportunities available to employees nationwide, receiving certification as a top employer in Romania through the Best Places to Work program, and strengthened partnerships with local suppliers. In terms of social responsibility, McDonald's supported the work of the Ronald McDonald Children's Foundation and expanded its internal volunteer program, Voluntar@M.
The Sustainability Report includes actions and results for each of McDonald's pillars of activity in Romania.
McDonald's invests in expansion and digitalization
To be closer to customers, McDonald's opened six new restaurants in Bucharest, Botoșani, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Craiova, Pitești, and Dumbrăvița, reaching a total of 102 restaurants nationwide by the end of 2023. Their opening has created new jobs and development opportunities for the teams.
McDonald's also continued to invest in digital solutions such as Experience of the Future, which modernizes restaurant experiences, reduces wait times for customers, and helps reduce food waste in the kitchen. By the end of 2023, nearly 90% of McDonald's restaurants were equipped with this technology. The company will continue to invest so that all locations benefit from this experience.
At the same time, McDonald's mobile app has seen more than 4 million downloads, providing access to personalized offers, rewards, and nutritional product information.
Trusted suppliers for quality ingredients
McDonald's works with trusted suppliers, ensuring that every ingredient gets to the table with respect for the environment, fair working conditions, and social responsibility. Partners who deliver products to McDonald's meet strict quality and food safety standards. The company also conducted a Food Safety and Social Responsibility audit for every supplier delivering food to restaurants across the country in 2023.
In 2023, 30% of supplier spend went to local producers, reflecting the company's commitment to supporting the local economy and communities.
McDonald's has been certified as a top employer in Romania
McDonald's continues to be one of Romania's largest employers in the food industry. At the end of 2023, the team numbered 5,800 members, and as of February 2024, McDonald's has surpassed the 6,000-employee mark. This progress underlines the success of the company's policies to create a safe, inclusive, and motivating work environment, also evidenced by internal survey results, with a score of over 94% in sections such as team collaboration, manager relations, leadership, social responsibility actions and the quality of HR policies. In addition, McDonald's has been certified as a top employer in Romania through the "Best Places to Work" program.
McDonald's offers professional development opportunities and promotes from within, so managerial positions in restaurants are assigned to employees who have developed within the company.
Commitment to the environment and the planet
2023 was an important year for McDonald's in terms of investing in new measures and solutions to reduce the amount of packaging used in restaurants, implementing renewable energy solutions, using sustainable materials, and reducing our carbon footprint. The company has introduced 100% recycled plastic trays in all restaurants and in 4 new Drive-Thru restaurants has integrated photovoltaic panels for own consumption. In addition, 60% of McDonald's restaurants have separate collection bins for customers. McDonald's commitment is to use 100% renewable, recyclable or certified packaging by 2025. Currently, 95% of this target has been achieved.
In addition, the Premier Capital group, in collaboration with McDonald's global teams, is actively contributing to international climate change initiatives. These efforts include the implementation of a zero carbon strategy by 2050, measures to protect and conserve forests, and reduce emissions associated with beef production.
