Hamburgerology: A Deep Dive into McDonald's and its Hamburger University

McDonald's didn't become the world's biggest fast food chain by accident. Arguably one of the most important innovations behind the worldwide expansion of McDonald's that followed has been McDonald's Hamburger University. From its humble origins in the early '60s, McDonald's Hamburger University has grown to become a groundbreaking educational facility that's changed the game for American fast food. This article explores the history of McDonald's, the evolution of Hamburger University, its curriculum, impact, and its significance in the broader context of corporate training.

The Genesis of McDonald's: From Drive-In to Global Icon

The story of McDonald's begins with brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, who sought opportunities in California that they felt were unavailable in New England. After an unsuccessful stint in the movie business, they found success in operating drive-in restaurants.

Streamlining Operations and the Speedee Service System

In 1948, the McDonald brothers took a significant risk by streamlining their operations and introducing the Speedee Service System, featuring 15-cent hamburgers. At their San Bernardino location, they perfected this system, offering a limited menu that included fifteen cent hamburgers, shakes, and fries. The restaurant’s success led the brothers to begin franchising their concept.

Architectural Innovation: The Golden Arches

The McDonald brothers insisted that their architect design an attention catching building that would highlight their Speedee Service System. Architect Stanley Meston’s design of the "Red and White" did not disappoint. Feeling that the roof line was a bit too flat, Dick McDonald added arches to the building. A sign maker incorporated yellow neon into them creating the "Golden Arches". The attention getting red and white tiled building with the Golden Arches was designed by architect Stanley Meston in 1953. McDonald’s introduced the new Mansard Roof Design in 1969 in Matteson, Illinois. Initially, many franchisees remodeled their existing Red and White buildings to reflect the new design. McDonaldland Parks (Play Places) and the Drive-Thru were added to the restaurant during the 1970s. McDonald’s restaurants feature designs that incorporate existing architecture and other unique features.

Ray Kroc and the Franchising Vision

A native Chicagoan, Ray Kroc left high school after his sophomore year to join the World War One Red Cross Ambulance Corps. The war ended before his unit was sent overseas with Ray returning home to earn a living as a musician and later selling paper cups. In 1939, he became the exclusive distributor of the Multimixer (a milkshake mixing machine). He visited the McDonald brothers in 1954 which led to him becoming their franchise agent.

Kroc opened his first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in April, 1955. Ray Kroc’s vision was that there would be 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants solely in the United States. Yet, McDonald’s continued to grow and expand into international markets beginning in 1967 opening in Canada and Puerto Rico.

The Birth and Evolution of Hamburger University

One of the cornerstones of McDonald's success and global expansion is Hamburger University (HU). What began as a small training seminar held within a McDonald's location in the early 1960s has grown to become the gold standard of corporate training facilities, headquartered in a sprawling campus outside Chicago.

Humble Beginnings

According to The Best Schools, Hamburger U was founded in 1961 by Fred L. From that tiny little burger-flipping acorn grew a giant tree; in 1983, the $40-million Hamburger University campus opened its doors, a sprawling facility located on 80 acres in Oak Brook, Illinois. It was founded in 1961 in the basement of a McDonald’s in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, by Fred Turner, the first grill man for McDonald's and, later, the CEO for 20 years. The first graduating class in 1961 had 14 students.

The Vision of Fred Turner

Fred Turner, future McDonald's Chairman, was hired to work as a counter man for the Des Plaines McDonald's. In addition to quickly ascending the ranks in the fledgling company, and landing a spot as operations manager by 1958, Fred Turner founded Hamburger University in 1961. The educational program was operated by Fred L.

Global Expansion

Not only did McDonald's Hamburger University evolve far beyond its humble beginnings in a restaurant basement, the concept has also expanded into other parts of the world. In fact, a 2011 article in Bloomberg listed the various international Hamburger University campuses, including one in Tokyo (which is housed within a skyscraper) that opened in 1972, and another in Munich, launched in 1982. Additionally, in 2010, McDonald's opened a 28-storey Hamburger University in the Chinese city of Shanghai. In its first year of operation, the Shanghai Hamburger U trained 1,000 out of about 70,000 McDonald's employees in mainland China. The fast-food chain’s newest campus opened in Shanghai in 2010.

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State-of-the-Art Facilities

Hamburger University is a training facility at the McDonald's Corporation global headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Hamburger University training started in 1961 with a class of 14 people in the basement of one of its restaurants. The Shanghai location is housed in a 28-story building that serves as McDonald's China headquarters. The school takes up 16,846 square feet (1,565.0 m2) and is decorated with pictures of McDonald's products and equipment.

Hamburger University was originally located on an 80-acre (32 ha) campus at the company's global headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois from its founding until 2018, when both the McDonald's headquarters and Hamburger University moved to West Loop, Chicago, in a new complex built on the site of the former headquarters of Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios and previously Fred A. McDonalds headquarters is located the heart of the West Loop of Chicago.

Heritage Hall

Also part of Hamburger University is "Heritage Hall," a museum exhibit devoted to the history of McDonald's.

The Curriculum: More Than Just Flipping Burgers

It would be understandable to assume that the lessons students learn at McDonald's Hamburger University are focused on creating uniform burgers and cooking techniques. That philosophy has guided Hamburger University since the beginning, and Hamburger University's goal is to hone and shape that talent. As Bloomberg Quicktakes pointed out, "Hamburger U is not a cooking school." Rather, the goal is to give managers the business acumen needed to run a restaurant that, on average, rakes in about $2.6 million in revenue. "They have to think bigger picture," explained Hamburger U professor Rochelle Tandy. "A lot of times we get bogged down in the day-to-details.

The "Bachelor of Hamburgerology"

Students who complete the training at McDonald's Hamburger University take home more than just invaluable knowledge about running a fast food franchise. They also come away from the experience with a "Bachelor of Hamburgerology" diploma. And while some may joke about graduating from Hamburger University, the philosophy behind those degrees is dead serious. "If you think about it, each of them is running a multimillion-dollar business," Rob Lauber, vice president and chief learning officer of McDonald's Restaurant Solutions Group, told the Chicago Tribune of Hamburger U graduates. Graduates of McDonald's Hamburger University receive a "Bachelor of Hamburgerology" diploma at the end of their two weeks of intensive training.

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Grading and Evaluation

So how does one earn a Bachelor of Hamburgerology? Students are graded on how they respond in simulations of actual scenarios that would take place within a restaurant, in addition to a putting together a group presentation given at the end of the course.

Course Content and Daily Life

Rob notes that specific courses include shift management, introduction to management and guest services and a session known as GM Capstone. Rob notes that there are training classes for other leaders as well. Rob goes on to note that A typical day in the life of a participant at Hamburger University would be focused on several things: building their leadership capability, learning from peers and experts, and engaging in challenging scenarios that generate insights into their own styles, opportunities, and strengths.

College Credit Opportunities

In addition to those Hamburgerology degrees, studying at McDonald's Hamburger University can also count toward college credits. Enterprising employees have taken the opportunity to advance their educations, using Hamburger U as a springboard. For example, CNN pointed to Shelly Hicks, who was the manager of a Nashville-area McDonald's; she used her McDonald's University credits as a springboard to get a business degree, and ultimately a master's degree in adult education.

Within the context of Hamburger University, students can earn 23 credits toward a degree in Hamburgerology. This degree can have real-world value even beyond McDonald’s. According to Business Insider, students can also apply some of these credits toward an associate or bachelor’s degree at 1,600 US colleges and universities, the American Council on Education reports.

Admission and Accessibility

Being accepted as a student at McDonald's Hamburger University isn't easy. As Bloomberg reported, this is particularly true of the Chinese Hamburger U in Shanghai, where the acceptance rate of applicants is a mere one percent. Meanwhile, Britain's Mirror noted that the London Hamburger U only accepts eight out of every 1,000 applicants, an even lower percentage. That competitiveness makes sense when considering the role Hamburger University can play in propelling its students up the company's ranks. Only eight students out of 1,000 applicants are selected for each term. Just graduated from Hamburger University.

Eligibility and Nomination

Rob notes that any person who is a restaurant manager or is in line to become a restaurant manager in the McDonald’s system can attend Hamburger University. In 2019, we expanded offerings to franchise owners themselves and have had more than 100 attend offerings at Hamburger University. Typically our independent franchise owners will nominate people to attend - so while there are not academic requirements, per se, attendance is quite selective.

Cost and Financial Aid

Rob tells us that Costs for executing the programs at Hamburger University are shared between McDonald’s and its franchisees. As such, there are no costs for participants.

McDonald's Scholarship Programs

Though not directly affiliated with the Hamburger University experience, McDonald’s does offer the following scholarship and financial aid programs:

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Provides financial assistance to outstanding students attending one of the 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) within the TMCF member-school network.
McDonald’s employees working at participating restaurants so that they can earn a high school diploma, receive college tuition assistance, access free education and career advising services, and learn English as a second language. McDonald’s estimates that it has increased education access for more than 38,500 employees, awarding over $58 million in overall tuition assistance.

Impact and Significance

Hamburger University has not only provided opportunities and education to thousands of the company's employees over the years, it's also served as the inspiration for a movie: the 1986 cult comedy Hamburger: The Motion Picture.

Career Advancement

Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer of Oakbrook Investments LLC (which owns approximately 300,000 shares of McDonald's stock), said, "It's certainly possible to move up through the hierarchy. That first graduating class of McDonald's Hamburger University may have only had 15 students, but those numbers have exploded, especially after all those international campuses sprang up in far-flung parts of the world.

Broader Educational Opportunities

Rob Lauber highlights this opportunity, telling us that In many countries, including the USA, attendance and completion of our curricula will translate into accreditation towards a higher education degree or a nationally recognized certification level. For example, our programs in the USA help managers receive college credit for [completion]…In countries like the UK or Australia, they can receive certification towards a nationally recognized qualification.

Influence on Corporate Training

According to Donna Kidwell, chief technology officer of Arizona State University's EdPlus, there are some lessons that traditional educators can learn from Hamburger University and its training techniques. "If you buy a franchise, you're essentially taking on a business model. That's what you're actually getting," Kidwell explained in an interview for EdSurge. In fact, Kidwell's own participation in a corporate training program similar to Hamburger University led her to realize "how extremely powerful it was to have well-thought-out educational experiences.

Controversies and Challenges

McDonald's Hamburger University has won much acclaim, yet it's occasionally been associated with controversy. The protesters were demanding to form a union, as well as a wage increase to $15 per hour. The protest was ultimately halted by police in riot gear, with more than 100 protesters placed under arrest.

Misrepresentation of Credentials

Graduates of McDonald's Hamburger University receive a "Bachelor of Hamburgerology" diploma at the end of their two weeks of intensive training. What precisely that means was at the center of a controversy involving Diana LaPorta during her 1996 run for a spot on the school board of Florida's Volusia County. LaPorta had landed in hot water with the local media over claims she was misrepresenting her education by claiming to hold a "bachelor's degree in business administration" from Hamburger University.

Hamburger University Today

Senior VP and McDonald’s Chief Learning Officer Rob Lauber notes that today, Hamburger University trains roughly 5000 restaurant managers and franchise owners a year. More than 350,000 McDonald’s employees have been through its management, leadership, and business administration programs.

The flagship Hamburger University campus spent most of its history seated in Ray Kroc’s hometown, Oak Brook, Illinois. In 2018, the campus moved to an exciting new location in Chicago. (Oprah’s old studio complex, as it happens.)

The Modernized Experience

Rob Lauber describes the original Oak Brook campus as an iconic place, one where countless future leaders came to learn and grow. However, with the recent move to Chicago, Hamburger University has modernized the educational experience. Rob notes that our space contains cutting-edge digital features that provide personalization for our participants, as well as video broadcast capabilities that enable ’outside-in’ participation by our franchise owners where they can share their journey, experiences, and lessons learned.

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