Arcos Dorados: brands it owns and its ownership tree
Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO) is a publicly listed company headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay that operates 2 consumer brands under licence without owning the names.[1][2]
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
- Revenue
- $4.68 billion (2025)[2]
- SEC CIK
- 0001508478
- Website
- www.arcosdorados.com
- Last verified
- · 2 sources
What Arcos Dorados's annual report says about its business
Read from Arcos Dorados's latest annual filing[1]. Each line gives the sentence the filing uses, copied word for word.
Segments the filing names
- Brazil, NOLAD, SLAD:
Our operating segments are comprised of three geographic divisions: (i) Brazil; (ii) NOLAD, which consists of Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, St. Martin, and the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas; and (iii) SLAD, which consists of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, and Cura ao.
- the North Latin American division, the South Latin American division:
The Company manages its business as distinct geographic segments and its operations are divided into three geographic divisions, as follows: (i) Brazil, (ii) the North Latin American division, or "NOLAD," which is comprised of Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and the U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas, and, since July 2025, St. Martin, and (iii) the South Latin American division, or "SLAD," which is comprised of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Cura ao.
Acquisitions and disposals named in the filing
- Acquired: McDonald's LatAm business (August 3, 2007).
We commenced operations on August 3, 2007, as a result of the Acquisition of McDonald's LatAm business.
Arcos Dorados financial history
Headline figures from Arcos Dorados's annual reports filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, in USD as reported, fiscal years ending 2020–2025. Revenue moved from $1.98bn to $4.68bn, an average of 18.7% a year (calculated).
| Fiscal year ended | Revenue | Operating income | Operating margin | Net income | Total assets | Long-term debt | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $4.68bn | $364.4m | 7.8% | $212.1m | $3.89bn | $1.13bn | 20-F | |
| $4.47bn | $324.5m | 7.3% | $148.8m | $2.89bn | $716m | 20-F | |
| $4.33bn | $314m | 7.2% | $181.3m | $3.02bn | $713m | 20-F | |
| $3.62bn | $264.4m | 7.3% | $140.3m | $2.64bn | $711.7m | 20-F | |
| $2.66bn | $139.5m | 5.2% | $45.5m | $2.36bn | $739.2m | 20-F | |
| $1.98bn | $-66,754,000 | -3.4% | $-149,451,000 | $2.29bn | $773.4m | 20-F |
Source: SEC XBRL company facts. A dash means the company did not report that line in a form we could read. Figures for a year can be restated in a later filing; the latest filing's number is shown.
Minority stakes, joint ventures and licences
- McDonald's (Latin America and the Caribbean) — licensee 100% since 2007[1]Operated under licence; the McDonald's name is owned by McDonald's Corporation.
- McCafé (Latin America and the Caribbean) — licensee 100% since 2007[1]Operated under licence; the McCafé name is owned by McDonald's Corporation.
Arcos Dorados SEC filings
The documents behind the figures on this page, as listed in the SEC's EDGAR index. Each links to the filing itself.
Annual reports
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
- Annual report (foreign issuer), filed (20-F)
Recent current and quarterly reports
| Filed | Form | What it declares |
|---|---|---|
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer | |
| 6-K | Report of a foreign private issuer |
Frequently asked questions
What brands does Arcos Dorados own?
None tracked here. Arcos Dorados operates 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 (2) & 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.
- [2] Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc.: Form 20-F for the year ended 2025-12-31 (revenue) — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 20-F, published 30 April 2026; retrieved 4 October 2026.
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