Details released about plans to bring McDonald's to Airport Drive area
This location will be the 10th restaurant locally owned and operated by the father-daughter duo and their second in Joplin. The family also operates restaurants in Aurora, Jane, Monett, and Neosho, as well as Grove, Jay, and Miami in Northeast Oklahoma.
'McDonald's is more than just a restaurant; it's a gathering place, a first job opportunity, a supporter of our local schools, and a proud partner to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States,' Alex Maffei said in a statement. 'We're proud to expand our role as part of the fabric of the Joplin community.'
In a statement, the owners said the new Joplin restaurant will bring more than 70 jobs to the area, from crew members to managers.
'We're passionate about providing career paths and leadership opportunities to our team,' said Maffei. 'Many start with us and go on to do incredible things throughout the Four-States area.'
The new location will also offer comprehensive employee benefits, including Archways to Opportunity, in which eligible McDonald's employees can receive up to $3,000 per semester toward college tuition.
Hiring has begun for the new restaurant. Apply by texting MO501 to 38000 or by visiting the McDonald's at 4436 Missouri Highway 43 in the Petro Truck Stop in person.
McDonald's has more than 38,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 93% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local businessmen and women.
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A video of the altercation, posted on Saturday, went viral on TikTok, racking up about 11 million views by Thursday. @satou19880303 マクドナルドでポケモンハッピーセット1人5セットなのに４０個買った人に注意してた人まぢ勇者 #バズれ ♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 三杯目ひかる⭐️⭐️⭐️ The chaos also spilled into the online resale hours, the Pokémon cards — and even the untouched meals — were listed on resale sites for as much as 2,000 yen, nearly four times the original price. On Thursday, Business Insider saw dozens of Pokémon card listings on Mercari, Japan's largest online resale marketplace, with some priced as high as 3,000 yen. 朝マック買いに行ったらこれ。 店前にも100人以上並んでる。 あかんやろこれ。。。 ちなみに日本語は聞こえない。。。 #マクドナルド #ハッピーセット #ポケモンカード — プ〜やん🐷3連系ニキ🐷 (@pooh_yan0131) August 8, 2025 The frenzy moved from human hands to pigeon beaks. A viral post on Sunday showed pigeons on the usually impeccable streets of Shibuya pecking at food scraps on the pavement next to crumpled McDonald's bags. "Early morning chaos in Shibuya. McDonald's burgers and fries were scattered on the streets, turning into a feast for pigeons," the post on X read. 早朝の渋谷のカオス。 マクドナルドのバーガーやポテトが道にばら撒かれた結果、ハトの大宴会が開かれている模様。 買った食品は責任持って食べきっていただきたいし、ゴミは持ち帰っていただきたい。 — スミレンジャーZ（愛称スミレちゃん、元スラウザーです） (@iijNWqUQ7i41630) August 9, 2025 A home run collaboration Globally, McDonald's is no stranger to high-profile brand collaborations. Some promotions, like their BTS meals and Hello Kitty giveaways, have similarly resulted in massive crowds and a shortage of collectible items. In its most recent earnings call, CFO Ian Frederick Borden said McDonald's partnership with "A Minecraft Movie," which was held in more than 100 markets, had an "incredibly strong" response from consumers. Most of its Minecraft collectibles sold out ahead of the intended promotion window. Kieran Gibb, the founder of Monogic, a Hong Kong-based food and beverage marketing company, called the McDonald's Pokémon Happy Meal a "home run collaboration." He said it drew in customers of all ages, from children to nostalgic adult collectors. Frenzy is an effect that is "incredibly hard to achieve," said Gibb. "McDonald's has tapped into a brand with super fandom at a period in time where collectability is at its sheer peak," Gibb added. Pokémon has had generations of fans since its debut in the late 1990s, said Ryan Hoge, the president of Professional Sports Authenticator, a trading card grading company. "Now, those original fans are in their 30s and 40s, have disposable income, and are sharing their fandom with their children," Hoge said. "It's become a generational hobby and connection point." The promotion was launched shortly after McDonald's reported strong second-quarter results. Same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets segment grew by more than 5.5%, led by Japan. Tapping into a booming collectible market Trading cards — and the collectibles industry at large — are red-hot now. Adam Goulston, Japan's strategic advisor for the Singapore-based public relations and marketing agency Ellerton & Co., told Business Insider that the real target of the Happy Meals trading cards was collectors and resellers, for whom the meals were a "very cheap way to acquire limited-edition inventory for resale." Buying and selling trading cards is made easy by platforms like Mercari in Japan and eBay outside Japan, Goulston said. The McDonald's Pikachu card will hold value because of collectors who chase specific characters, Hoge said. He said Pikachu is arguably one of the most popular Pokémon card characters of all time. There's also a sprawling industry to hold up the resale value of these cards — and big money in it. Some Pokémon cards have been sold for millions. In 2022, the YouTuber Logan Paul clinched a Guinness World Record for the most expensive Pokémon card sold in a private auction, having paid $5,275,000 for his PSA 10 Pikachu Illustrator card. Collectibles of all sorts are also flying off the shelves. A consumer group called "kidults" — who go all in on board games, figurines, and plush toys like Labubu — is fueling the growth of the toy sector. Madness might leave a 'sour taste' for McDonald's, brand experts say The Pokémon Happy Meal frenzy could still lead to trouble for McDonald's. The Japanese care about social etiquette and reducing food waste — and this isn't a good look. Gibb from Monogic said the chaos may have left "a sour taste" in the mouths of its Japanese consumer base. However, Guy Llewelyn, a professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said the collaboration was a net positive for McDonald's. "The equity gained from the promotion will outweigh the short-lived surge of negative press on wasted food and long lines," Llewelyn said. "Customers see the collaboration as a short-lived, isolated event, and not a systemic failing of the brand."
