Originally posted by speedracer:
Hey, dead people count too, you know.
If 5.5 billion people each live an average of 70 years, then to serve 99 billion people, McDonalds would have to have been in business since the year 842. And of course it would be even farther back than that, since the population of the world has exploded in the last couple centuries or so.
How do you figure? I think you were calculating that McDonalds counts each person only once, regardless of how many times they ate at McDonalds. However, I'm positive that McDonalds counts each customer served, including repeat customers.
For example, if there are 5.5 billion people on earth, and 99 billion have been served, that means each person on earth has eaten at a McDonalds 18 times in his/her life. I believe the first McDonalds opened around 1954. So that gives almost 50 years for every person on earth to have eaten at a McDonalds 18 times.
Obviously, there are several billion people who have never eaten at McDonalds. However, in the U.S. alone, I estimate that there are about 125 million people (out of a total 250 million), just 1/8 of a billion, who probably eat at McDonalds at least 18 times a year (maybe even a month!), let alone in their lifetimes.
Let's break this down even more. I estimate that one third of those 125 million U.S. citizens (who are regular McDonalds' customers) average 50 McDonalds' visits per year (about one a week). That's right, I estimate that about 40 million Americans average one McDonalds' vist a week. That means 2 billion customers (meaning repeat customers) were served in the U.S. in one year. At that rate, it will take 50 years to reach 99 billion customers served - and that's just in the U.S.! Add in those in the U.S. who eat at McDonalds less frequently and then add in the rest of the world, and you can see how those numbers add up quickly. Remember, the key is repeat customers, not one time visits (or counting each person only once).
Plus, I'm sure McDonalds counts every single customer served, regardless of what was orderd. That includes those who came in just for a cup of coffee, those who came in just for a soda, those who came in just for fries, etc. This will inflate McDonalds' numbers significantly.
In other words, not only do I think 99 billion is possible, I think it might even be a low estimate.
[This message has been edited by doctorwho (edited 05-02-2002).]
