McDonald’s Jordan marks 20th anniversary with large, carnival-themed celebration

Press release

Published November 13th, 2016 - 09:21 GMT

McDonald’s Jordan 20th anniversary

Following an exciting four-week build-up campaign that treated customers to free food and a chance to win cash prizes, McDonald’s Jordan recently held an exciting, family-friendly, carnival-themed celebration at its Abdullah Ghosheh branch on November 10. Beginning with a press conference during which Ahmad Armoush, Chairman of Armoush Tourism Investment Co. Ltd. – the exclusive owner of the McDonald’s franchise in Jordan – spoke about the past 20 years and laid out future plans, the celebration saw the attendance of thousands of McDonald’s customers and fans, and a number of media representatives.

The day-long celebration featured multiple games and attractions all centered on a carnival theme that appealed to all ages. Attendees enjoyed two special performances by none other than Ronald McDonald, live music, and a burger eating contest. The last half of the event was live broadcast around the Kingdom to listeners who were unable to attend, and included an interview with Ahmad Armoush, audience testimonials, and an exciting light show, and ended with the cutting of McDonald’s Jordan’s 20^th anniversary cake and a big fireworks show. Also during the event, the winners of the campaign raffle, offering large cash prizes of JD 20,000, 10,000, and 5,000, were announced. The lucky winners were Ibrahim Noufal, Jina Salama, and Walid Al Nas’a, respectively.

“The event was a huge success and surpassed our expectations,” said Ahmad Armoush. “We were so pleased with the overwhelming number of dedicated McDonald’s fans that we have here in Jordan and were more than happy to welcome all of them to enjoy the day with us. I cannot think of anything more perfect to do on our 20^th anniversary than to celebrate it with the very people that made our success possible. We at McDonald’s Jordan thank all of our stakeholders -- employees, customers, partners, suppliers, and communities – for two decades filled with unforgettable memories and big smiles.”

Looking to the future, Armoush continued, “We optimistically await what comes next for us as a company. We hope to even further strengthen our inseparable bond with the community, effect positive socioeconomic change, and welcome the endless happy faces that we see every day from kids and adults alike that eat with us.”

The big 20^th anniversary celebration came after an exclusive trip to Aqaba for media and social media influencers that was held on November 5-6. During the trip, attendees were taken scuba diving in the Red Sea, where they embarked on a thrilling underwater adventure to find a large McDonald’s logo and “20” sign at the bottom of the sea.

Background Information

McDonald’s

In 1917, 15-year-old Ray Kroc lied about his age to join the Red Cross as an ambulance driver, but the war ended before he completed his training. He then worked as a piano player, a paper cup salesman and a Multimixer salesman.

In 1954, he visited a restaurant in San Bernardino, California that had purchased several Multimixers. There he found a small but successful restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, and was stunned by the effectiveness of their operation. They produced a limited menu, concentrating on just a few items – burgers, fries and beverages – which allowed them to focus on quality and quick service.

They were looking for a new franchising agent and Kroc saw an opportunity. In 1955, he founded McDonald’s System, Inc., a predecessor of the McDonald’s Corporation, and six years later bought the exclusive rights to the McDonald’s name and operating system. By 1958, McDonald’s had sold its 100 millionth hamburger