Flipping the 50 Billionth Burger

"My home town is so dull," goes the old gag, "that for excitement everybody goes down to McDonald's to watch the numbers on the sign change." McDonald's in recent years has been selling hamburgers so fast (140 per sec.) that many golden-arched signs state simply: BILLIONS AND BILLIONS SOLD. But that does not mean that McDonald's has lost count. Indeed, the Illinois-based company (1983 sales: $3.1 billion) disclosed last week that it will sell its 50 billionth hamburger some time late this month or in early November. The tally goes back to 1948, when hamburger No. 1 went on the grill at the McDonald brothers' drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, Calif. McDonald's acknowledges that it will be unable to single out the 50 billionth patty among its restaurants in 31 countries. But it says that its computer analysts will be able to estimate roughly, about ten days ahead of time, the day and the hour the historic burger will be served. At that time, the company will stage a 3 numbers-popping celebration with prizes for customers.

One of the burger chain's rivals seemed inclined last week to take the fun out of McParty. Wendy's disdained the whole notion of counting hamburgers. Said Spokesman Denny Lynch: "We find it unappetizing."