McDonald’s Corporation broke ground today on its new corporate headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop joined by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and local community leaders. Scheduled to open in spring of 2018, the nine-story building will house McDonald’s corporate headquarters offices and Hamburger University, one of seven worldwide locations that provides a state-of-the-art learning center for the company’s future leaders and employees.

“Today we are laying the foundation for the next chapter at McDonald’s,” Easterbrook said. “Our return to Chicago is an important step in our journey to build a better McDonald’s that strives to get closer to our customers in everything we do. There is no better place to do that than here in Chicago’s vibrant West Loop.”

“We are breaking ground to bring an iconic American brand back to Chicago - the most American of American cities,” Mayor Emanuel said. “Whether it’s a Fortune 500 company like McDonald’s – or a tech startup with a handful of employees – companies big and small recognize that Chicago is a great place to do business.”

McDonald’s, which had its headquarters in Chicago from 1966 to 1971 before moving to Oak Brook, earlier this year signed a lease at Sterling Bay’s newly planned development at 110 N. Carpenter Street/1045 West Randolph in Chicago. McDonald’s will occupy 485,000 square feet of the nine-story building.

“We look forward to joining the community and opening the doors to a modern and exciting workplace that will foster innovation and collaboration among our employees and enhance our ability to continue to attract and retain top talent,” Easterbrook added.

About McDonald’s

McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with over 36,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women.

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