McDonald's Headquarters Officially Moving to Chicago

Chicago, IL  — McDonald's has officially confirmed the move of its corporate headquarters from Oak Brook to Chicago's West Loop.

The transition to 1045 W. Randolph St., the former site of Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios, is expected to take place by spring 2018, according to the company.

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"McDonald's, welcome back to sweet home Chicago," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. " ... I can't wait to break ground and cut the ribbon."

The new Chicago facility is expected to have more than 300,000 square feet of office space, with a new building to be constructed at the site.

• See also: McDonald's Cutting HQ Staff

McDonald's new headquarters will also house Hamburger University, one of seven learning centers for company employees, the company reports.

McDonald's President and CEO Steve Easterbrook said moving the headquarters is a step toward building a better McDonald's.

"This world-class environment will continue to drive business momentum by getting us even closer to customers, encouraging innovation and ensuring great talent is excited about where they work," he said.

The fast food giant had its corporate home in Chicago from 1995 to 1971, and Rick Hernandez, chairman of the board of McDonald's, said they look forward to returning to the city.

"Today's announcement is about more than just a new location for us. It is an important investment in our people as we look to create a start-of-the-art company headquarters they can use to move our business forward for many years to come," Hernandez said in a statement.

McDonald's has more than 36,000 locations in over 100 countries. More than 2,000 employees currently work in the Oak Brook headquarters.

Photo of McDonald's Oak Brook headquarters courtesy of McDonald's.