McDonald's Japan took a series of hits starting in 2014 that threatened to crack its golden arches: a supplier was selling expired chicken, a human tooth was found in french fries and a child was injured by a plastic shard in a sundae.
Sales plummeted to their lowest level since the company went public in 2001, and the chain closed hundreds of restaurants. McDonald's Corp. in the U.S. said it was considering selling its 49.9 percent stake in the Japanese company as losses piled up.
"I remember thinking at that time: 'McDonald's is over,' " said Ichiro Fujita, a Torrance, California-based consultant who helps bring foreign restaurant brands to Japan. "A lot of people even said they might need to change the name because the image was so bad."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.