McDonald’s names Bryan Brown U.S. development chief amid growth push

McDonald’s named Bryan Brown its next U.S. chief development officer and set his start date for July 14, a move that puts one of the chain’s most important growth jobs in the hands of a veteran who has spent more than 30 years in restaurant development, real estate, construction and design. Brown will succeed Tabassum Zalotrawala, who is shifting into a global development and restaurant design role.

The change matters well beyond corporate org charts. McDonald’s U.S. development team oversees a 13,000-restaurant portfolio, and the person leading it helps shape where the chain builds next, how new stores are laid out and how remodels affect the pace of work for crew members, shift managers and franchise operators. McDonald’s said Brown’s background will support restaurant development for customers, crew and owner/operators as the company keeps building around its NEXT strategy.

That strategy is not subtle. McDonald’s says NEXT is meant to bring in more customers more often and improve unit economics, with a heavy emphasis on restaurant design, efficiency and operational productivity. The company is targeting more than 50,000 restaurants globally by the end of 2027, and it is still aiming for 1,000 new domestic restaurants by 2027. In 2026, McDonald’s is targeting about 2,600 gross restaurant openings, including about 750 in its U.S. and International Operated Market segments.

Brown arrives with a track record that fits that growth plan. Public business profiles show he started at Raising Cane’s in October 2011, and McDonald’s said he spent roughly a decade there helping turn the brand from a regional concept into a national system. Raising Cane’s finished 2024 ranked No. 18 in U.S. domestic sales with just under $5 billion in sales, after a 32 percent year-over-year increase, and the company has said it expected to end 2025 with nearly 1,000 locations.

Zalotrawala’s move also shows how central development has become inside McDonald’s. In March 2026, the company said she had helped lead McDonald’s through its fastest development period in history and promoted her to senior vice president, global restaurant development and design. McDonald’s said then that she would continue overseeing U.S. development until a successor was named.

For restaurant workers, the practical effect lands on the floor. A new-build site can mean better equipment and cleaner workflows, while a rushed remodel can mean tighter kitchens, awkward service paths and more training on new systems. In a business already defined by turnover, staffing gaps and pressure to move faster, McDonald’s is signaling that the next phase of growth will be built through the layout of the restaurants themselves.