McDonald’s Trims Tech Fees for U.S. Franchisees, Calming Strains
- Planned charges to be cut by 62%, fast-food chain says in memo
- Company wants to ‘reset’ relationship with franchise owners
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McDonald’s Corp. is slashing the technology fees it planned to charge its U.S. restaurant owners by about $42 million, easing tension that’s been simmering between the parent company and its franchisees for months.
The fast-food giant decided to cut the charges by 62% from the original $68 million communicated to McDonald’s franchisees in December, according to an internal document viewed by Bloomberg News. The change, made after accounting firm KPMG was hired to review the billing, will help the company and its franchisees “reset” their relationship, the memo said. The decision wasn’t prompted by any accounting or billing errors.