Arcos Dorados: brands it owns and its ownership tree
Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO) is a publicly listed company headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay that makes and sells 2 consumer brands under licence without owning the names.[1]
Arcos Dorados is the world's largest independent McDonald's franchisee, holding the exclusive right to own, operate and sub-franchise McDonald's restaurants in twenty-one countries and territories across Latin America and the Caribbean. It operated or franchised 2,520 restaurants at the end of 2025, about 4.4 per cent of McDonald's global sales. Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and run from Montevideo, it owns none of the names above its doors: its rights come from master franchise agreements that McDonald's can decline to renew, after which it would have to stop using the brand and the intellectual property behind it altogether.
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Company facts
- Legal name
- Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc.
- Type
- publicly listed company · see all publicly listed company owners
- Headquarters
- 🇺🇾 Montevideo, Uruguay
- Founded
- 2007
- Tickers
- NYSE: ARCO
- SEC CIK
- 0001508478
- Website
- www.arcosdorados.com
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
Minority stakes, joint ventures and licences
- McDonald's (Latin America and the Caribbean) — licensee 100% since 2007[1]Made and sold under licence; the McDonald's name is owned by McDonald's Corporation.
- McCafé (Latin America and the Caribbean) — licensee 100% since 2007[1]Made and sold under licence; the McCafé name is owned by McDonald's Corporation.
Latest news about Arcos Dorados
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Frequently asked questions
What brands does Arcos Dorados own?
None tracked here. Arcos Dorados makes and sells McDonald's (Latin America and the Caribbean) and McCafé (Latin America and the Caribbean) under licence, which is not the same as owning those names.
Is Arcos Dorados a Uruguayan company?
Yes. Arcos Dorados is headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay and was founded in 2007.
Who owns Arcos Dorados?
Arcos Dorados is a publicly listed company owned by its shareholders; it trades as ARCO on the NYSE.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc. Annual Report on Form 20-F filed 2026-04-30 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 20-F, published 30 April 2026; retrieved 21 September 2026.
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