Author
Mark Keast has recently covered the sports betting industry in Canada for The Parleh, and is a long-time sportswriter and editor, most notably with the Toronto Sun.
Ontario’s Favorite McDonald’s Menu Items
Did you know that the home of the Big Mac has its own special day? April 15 is McDonald’s Day, the anniversary of when Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
We were not going to let April 15 slide by without an acknowledgement. At OntarioBets.com, where we write lifestyle stories and cover Ontario online casinos, we used Google Trends to analyze the most popular McDonald’s menu items among Ontario residents. We looked at the search results for “McDonald’s” over the past 12 months (April 2023 to April 2024). Here are the results:
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Favorite McDonald’s Menu Items In Ontario
The results on our list are a mix of McDonald’s classics and relatively newer items. Turn to OntarioBets.com for pop culture and lifestyle stories as well as coverage of the Ontario sportsbooks market.
History of McDonald’s
Kroc had invested his life savings to become the exclusive distributor of a milkshake maker called the Multimixer. That led to a discovery of the McDonald’s hamburger stand in California, run by the McDonald brothers.
Kroc was impressed at the speed in which people were being served, with a limited menu that would ensure better quality.
He convinced the brothers to open more restaurants, which soon led to Kroc himself opening the Illinois restaurant, with the first Golden Arches logo. A legendary brand was launched.
McDonald’s has since grown into one of the world’s largest fast-food chains. According to the company website, there are more than 1,400 restaurants in Canada, employing more than 90,000 people from coast-to-coast, serving 2.5 million guests every day. For trivia buffs, the first restaurant opened in Canada in 1967, in Richmond, British Columbia.
Around 85% of McDonald’s restaurants in Canada are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs across the country.
Most Popular McDonald’s Items In Ontario
Getting back to our list of most popular McDonald’s menu items, the options have expanded a good bit since the old days under Kroc. The burgers, fries and shakes are standbys. But nowadays, you’ll also find coffee, ribs, wraps, chicken sandwiches, muffins and breakfast options.
We get why McDonald’s French fries are No. 1 on our list, with a search interest score of 9. Everybody knows them for their consistent taste and texture. They go with everything, including various toppings and sauces. McDonald’s uses a combination of potato, salt and cooking oil that makes the taste irresistible – crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Plus, is there a greater comfort food? Hamburgers and Chicken McNuggets are next on the list, in second and third place, respectively.
But the McRib tied with the Big Mac for fourth? That one we don’t get.
Anyway, get out on April 15 and mark the occasion. We all crave familiarity, especially these days, and McDonald’s delivers on that front. And check out Blue Jays playoff odds while you’re at OntarioBets.com.
USA Today photo by Ariel Cobbert/The Commercial Appeal
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