The stat: One out of every four new McDonald’s stores is located in Texas, per Bloomberg, as the fast-food chain aligns its footprint with US population trends and races toward its goal of 50,000 locations worldwide by 2027.

McDonald’s strategy: Despite being fairly well-represented in the US, McDonald’s “store count hasn’t kept up with population,” chief development officer Tabassum Zalotrawala told Bloomberg, with “sufficient gaps all across the nation where we can grow.”

At the heart of this strategy is a desire to be more convenient: The aim is to be within a 5-minute drive of as large a population as possible to encourage more frequent visits and improve profitability.

Why Texas? Texas’ explosive population growth—particularly in the north—has created a number of boomtowns that (as of this moment) are underserved by fast-food chains.

• Between 2023 and 2024, Texas gained 1,542 residents daily, making it the second-fastest-growing US state, behind Florida.
• By 2035, North Texas—which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area—is expected to have a population of 10 million, more than Chicago, per the Texas Demographic Center.

By getting in early, McDonald’s is hoping to quickly establish itself as locals’ go-to joint, which could help juice sales in an otherwise sluggish environment. And where McDonald’s goes, competitors are quick to follow, making towns like Celina and Princeton the next battleground for quick-service restaurants.

Our take: Companies should be constantly reevaluating their store portfolios to ensure they align with demographic trends.

• Failing to respond to population shifts could cause brands to lose relevance, particularly in fiercely competitive sectors like fast food.
• On the flip side, companies that are proactive about moving into emerging markets have a better shot of winning lasting loyalty and embedding themselves into consumers’ daily routines.

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